# Basic gold recovery?



## rich_2137 (Jan 28, 2012)

Hi all
Im new to this but have been looking to do this for the past few months so finally ive decided to go for it, I ordered all the equipment needed, so I get this straight please correct me if im wrong as I don't want to mess this up thank you, any tips wecome

1) place a 1:3 ratio mix of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid
2) pour the mix over my electronics
3) leave to react for around 2 hours
4) pour off the remaining acid through a filter into a clean beaker
5) add a precipitant to the mix(im using Sodium Metabisulphite)
6) Leave for about 12 hours??
7) pour off the acid and neutralise trying not to disturb the gold at the bottom
8 ) Wash the gold with water 3-4 times and dry?
9 ) melt down into a button

Im not sure if this the perfect way but as a beginner have I got the right idea?
any help would be most helpful
regards
Richard

Heres a few pics on what im processing


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## nickvc (Jan 28, 2012)

Basically you have it all wrong.
Keep collecting your gold and spend some time on here reading and learning all the best methods and processes to recover and refine your values.
Start by downloading C.M.Hoke and read until it makes sense also download the forum handbooks and read and visit lazersteves site and also Sams. Read the safety section and then maybe your ready to start your refining.
If you proceed as per your plan your going to end up with one big mess that will take sometime to recover and then refine properly.


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## philddreamer (Jan 28, 2012)

Hi Richard!
You wrote:
"Im not sure if this the perfect way but as a beginner have I got the right idea?"

If you're not sure, don't start! Like Nick stated: "you got it ALL wrong!"
You just joined the forum, but you have been looking to do this for several months... Where did you get the idea or information to process your material? It wasn't from this Forum; those steps seem more like information from shor, & I hope you didn't ordered "the equipment" from them!

You should do some serious reading of the information available for free in this great Forum, like Nick suggested; it will serve you good & you will be sure when you do your first attempt.

Take care & be safe! 8) 

Phil


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## vegaswinner (Jan 28, 2012)

As a relative newbie I understand very much the information overload you are probably experiencing right now, everything you need to know in order to get started you will find on Lazersteve's site, goldrecovery.us in easy to follow video walk through's. I'd spend sometime on there watching videos, harvesting, fingers in ap, dissolving gold, precipitating, melting etc. This will really help you understand a little more what you will read in the forum handbook and in Hoke, which btw is a book written in layman terms assuming zero knowledge of refining in the reader. Whilst familiarizing ones self with some of the processes involved I would probably try and obtain a little more material before I start processing. Fingers in AP is probably the best place to start. Forget about using nitric until you can use it safely. These chemicals will kill you if mis handled!


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## Geo (Jan 28, 2012)

congratulations on your success with the gold buttons. most beginners don't make it that far before they run into problems. the fact that you have two nice size buttons shows that you have processed quite a bit of material to not know what you are doing. first let me point out that the buttons you have are not pure as you you can see by the frosting on the surface and lack of luster and the "pipe". the process to get pure gold is a two step procedure.

1.reclaim the gold. remove the gold bearing material and then separate the gold from the base metal (copper,nickel,tin,silver or anything thats not gold).

2.refine the gold.remove impurities from the gold so you will leave only pure gold metal.

this forum will teach you how to do these things and many more different things you havent even thought of yet. study the forum and ms.Hokes books to get the basics to metal refining even though it isnt geared toward electronic scrap the principles are the same.

when you do learn these things you can take those two impure buttons and turn them into one big pure gold button.

welcome to the forum.good luck and be safe.


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## Dr. Poe (Jan 28, 2012)

At first I thought that your method might work for scrap jewelry instead of scrap electronics. A second look showed me that you didn't add denoxing to your list. So that wouldn't work either. I agree with the others, search the posts after you download and study Hoke's book extensively. Maybe then you can start this ,your new hobby. Dr. Poe :roll:


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## slickdogg (Jan 28, 2012)

rich_2137 theres a few links in my signature line to get you started 8)


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## rich_2137 (Jan 28, 2012)

Thank you for all the advice nice to see that people out there are willing to help and are concerned about my safety instead of jumping down my throat telling me that I have know idea!
I'll do more reading and I will check out lazersteves site and hopefully then i'll be able to refine my gold to a more purer state.

Im also a gold prospector and have lots of gold nuggets and flakes, i'll refine them too but before i do that i need to get the hang of this properly

thanks again
Rich


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## Palladium (Jan 28, 2012)

Welcome to the forum rich.


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## jack_burton (Jan 28, 2012)

Welcome Rich!


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## nickvc (Jan 29, 2012)

Rich I'm glad you understand the responses, we don't pick on noobies but want to encourage them to get the basics under their belts before they start processes that they have no idea of the outcome of. By reading and spending time researching here on the forum you will gain far more than just been given the A - Z of how to refine as the whole subject is huge.
Welcome to the forum.


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## steyr223 (Jan 29, 2012)

Nicvc wrote
. we dont pick on newbie's :
Nope they pic on everyone :lol: 
Welcome

Steyr223


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## rich_2137 (Jan 29, 2012)

humm, from what iv'e been reading it seems that my method above is what you would do as a final stage of refining from say a 98% gold to pure gold?!


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## philddreamer (Jan 29, 2012)

Richard wrote:
"humm, from what iv'e been reading it seems that my method above is what you would do as a final stage of refining from say a 98% gold to pure gold?!"

This statement shows that you are reading, & starting to understand the proper steps & procedures! That's a good sign. 
As you continue your research, you'll also find that it is not a good idea to pre-mix your AR.

Keep up the good work! 8) 

Take care!
Phil


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## joem (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm catching up on my reading and came across your post so if it is answered already forgive me.
Essentially you have just put your breakfast, lunch, and supper in a blender and then tried to drink it. Trust me it does not work that way ( I made a roast beef dinner that way as a dare - yech). Like cooking - there is a different type of approach for each type of scrap.


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## philddreamer (Jan 29, 2012)

Joe, no one has given that answer yet! :lol: :lol: :lol: 
It's a good way to put it.

Phil


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## rich_2137 (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi all and thanks again for the support and advice but im still learning and appreciate any correction 

My question is-it seems I need to Start with Hydrochloric acid to dissolve all the base metals in my mobile phone and computer parts, but after this process will the gold float to the top or will it be attached to the board still for further processing? also it seems this method can also begin to dissolve the gold so would it be an idea to test the Solution with Stannous Chloride for a traces and drop with SMB if positive?.

Another im learning about but still have some questions is the AP method, If I Start out with enough Hydrochloric acid to dissolve the base metals, add Hydrogen Peroxide. After a few hours the base metals will dissolve leaving the gold on the boards??? Is this right???. 

Sorry about all the questions but I didn't realise how many ways and techniques there are for doing this :roll: 
Iv'e also contacted lazersteve so i will be buying a dvd to help me too  

Richard


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## Geo (Jan 30, 2012)

AP will dissolve the base metal setting the gold free to float around in the solution. this works well for fingers and pins. put the cell boards in just muriatic acid with no heat for a day, this will dissolve all the solder and remove all the components and leave the gold traces intact.the traces will have a copper tint but if you rub the gold color will come through. i have found that AP solution WILL dissolve the gold on cell phone boards. the gold on these boards are very thin so i have been putting them through AR after removing the solder and components.this is what i do and it works for me and is not the method advised by the forum. the solution from this will be dirty and contain base metal so after the precipitation, the gold will need to be refined again.


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## butcher (Jan 30, 2012)

Rich,

Here are some of my suggestions. Hokes book, read in quiet times, make notes, practice the experiments she suggests, these show you what to expect with metals in acids, it also helps you to understand the very troublesome metals, also practice the testing of metals in solutions,

When first starting do not process your high grade materials, losses while you’re on a learning curve will be regretted later, save your high grade scrap until you have some experience under your belt

Start with fingers and the acid peroxide process, this is an easier process, it will give you some of the basics without many of the other troubles many of the other materials will give you. You can also use the solutions to practice Hokes experiments and suggestions on testing.

Store the cell phones until you get a better understanding of dealing with many metals in solution, and the trouble some metals. This material would be complicated for a beginner; I would try pins or CPU's after getting finger process down.

Also study the forum, and check out Laser Steve's web site before beginning, study and make notes, so that when you begin to do a process you know as much about it as you can before you begin.

Learn one process at a time, and work on one type of material at a time.
Learn the dangers, and procedures to insure safety of you and others.
Learn how you will deal with the waste materials you generate.
Learn how to use the stockpot.

This is very similar to chemistry, so taking the approach as a chemist would understanding as much as possible what to expect, and following procedures to do experiments, knowing how to work safely and deal with your waste, and enjoy the learning experience.

Welcome to the forum, I like your approach, and attitude to wanting to learn, we do not pick on people sometimes it may look that way when we try and shake them some to wake them up from a dream, many new people come here in a daydream world, of gold and Rich’s or wealth, and think after reading a few pages on the intranet that this is just a simple process do A,B,C then melt pure gold and get rich, not wanting to study, or thinking they already know everything they just need a simple recipe we should provide them with no work on there part, 

After you have been here on the forum you will see what I am saying, also many times we get many thousands of new people from all over the world asking the same old newbie questions, answering the same question thousands of times gets very tiring, when if they would spend time reading, they would see everything they need is here in print already, 

We do get a very few Quiet very smart new members, who study the forum, not asking question after question, and their first post is showing what they have learned from reading the forum a nice beautiful gold button in their hand and the knowledge in their head.


Rich I hope this is helpful for you.


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