# AP Ceramic Cpu Tutorial..?



## IntelGold (Jun 30, 2013)

I have done lots of trimmed memory in Ap (over 25 Kilo) and must say i am rather good at it now (if i say so myself).
Anyhow going of track a little here. I have for the first time tried some Ceramic Cpu in AP (usually use Nitric). I thought i would try AP as its alot cheaper and you can re-use the solution. I am 2 weeks in and most of the stuff has dissolved, Note, i am not using a bubbler just a very small amount of Hydrogen Peroxide every 3-4 days.
The point of my question is i want to know the procedure for removing any unwanted garbage. Is there a tutorial for Ceramics in AP that i have missed?
People have said that the steps are the same as the fingers in Ap proccess but as i can tell fingers only have copper mixed with them. Where as Ceramic Cpu's have Silver, Tin and other metals to deal with.
So if someone could help me out, or point me to the correct tutorial that would be great.


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## JHS (Jun 30, 2013)

Hi,
if you type ap cpu in the search box it will give you 588 hits.Lots of info there


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## IntelGold (Jul 1, 2013)

Fair enough, But, if you type "ap cpu" in the tutorial section you get nothing, not one hit. 
Maybe someone could write a Tutorial. I would do it myself with pics when i have a good system.
I have had cpu's (mixed types) in ap for 2 weeks and all i have is pins which look like base metal has deposited back on to them. I emptied the container with the cpu's in which was a golden liquid. I tested it with stannous chloride and nothing (dont know what the golden color is?) I have not been using a bubbler just adding small amounts off Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. I have refilled the container with fresh acid and now have a fish tank bubbler in it so it should speed things up.
What is the yellow liquid i poured off? Why do the pins look like they have been stripped but no gold floating or sank?
Thanks.


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## lazersteve (Jul 1, 2013)

Try searching 'poor mans ceramic' (no quotes) by author lazersteve.

This is the process I recommend to use on all ceramic cpus that do not have integrated tungsten heat spreaders (gold plated top).

AP is meant for copper based scrap and ceramic cpus contain mostly kovar base metal. The iron in the kovar fouls the AP solution.

Steve


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## IntelGold (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks Steve, So are you saying only use ap for tungsten heat spreaders?


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## lazersteve (Jul 1, 2013)

Negative; for tungsten topped ceramic cpus use diluted nitric acid to separate the tungsten tops from the rest of the cpu, remove and rinse tops, pour off and filter the silver bearing solution; the remaining solids (kovar, gold, silicon, and ceramic) get treated as stated in the above referenced search link. 

Happy Hunting,

Steve


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## IntelGold (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks again Steve, Just one more thing. After removing the Tungsten Tops what do you do with them? Sulphuric Cell?
Thanks.


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## Marcel (Jul 1, 2013)

Better not add H2O2 every few days. If your solution is exhausted add HCl. H2O2 is only needed to kickstart the AP reaction by oxidation. If you add too much H2O2 it will dissolve your gold, exspec. over a long time period and with summer temperatures.


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## lazersteve (Jul 1, 2013)

IntelGold said:


> Thanks again Steve, Just one more thing. After removing the Tungsten Tops what do you do with them? Sulphuric Cell?
> Thanks.



The tungsten plates simply fall off the rest of the cpu and the gold is left behind as a large foil for the next step. The tungsten plates are picked out of the mix, rinsed, and sold as scrap tungsten. 







Steve


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## IntelGold (Jul 2, 2013)

Thanks Steve and Marcel, I think i just got rid of all my gold as when i used smb it done nothing but alot of gold is missing from the cpu's. Doh.
You live and learn.


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## IntelGold (Jul 15, 2013)

I now have a lot of gold foils floating about in the bucket. Even the Tungsten top foils have come off. What do i do now to get the gold flake seperate from the pieces of ceramic. Do i add Sodium Hypochlorite and filter? Do i need to remove most of the ceramic bits first. Please help as i am now stuck.
Thanks.


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## IntelGold (Jul 16, 2013)

Can anyone tell me what to do next. Please.


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## solar_plasma (Jul 16, 2013)

I would do it mechanically by hand and a wash flask with plain water...as far as possible. The rest could be incenerated or directly moved to straight AR or your preferred method. It worked for me in a comparable situation. I would give the solids a second turn AR, it could well be, you don't get all the gold at first time.


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## IntelGold (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks Solar, I have been picking out what i can and rinsing the chips of with a spray bottle. What i do with the rest is to be seen. Thanks.


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## lazersteve (Jul 17, 2013)

IntelGold said:


> Can anyone tell me what to do next. Please.



See post above this one of yours:



lazersteve said:


> ... The tungsten plates are picked out of the mix, rinsed, and sold as scrap tungsten.



Steve


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## IntelGold (Jul 17, 2013)

Hi, Thanks for all the advice. I am not really sure what i have done but it seemed to have worked. I first started with about 700 grams of mixed cpu. These where in AP for 2 weeks as i stated above. No bubbler just adding small increments of Peroxide now and again. When i looked at them at the 2 week stage the liquid was a golden color. I decanted this liquid thinking it was dissolved gold but a stannous test showed negative so the peroxide did not dissolve the gold? What was that golden liquid, Iron? So on i go refill my bucket with HCL and this time no peroxide, i got a fish tank bubbler working in solution. I left it for another 9-10 days and the solution went black, which i believe its should do. I had particles of all sorts in it including gold flakes, i was unsure if gold was present on the hollow pins as they looked black but where easily squashed flat? I am thinking some other metal has coated the gold pins? I then went on to pick as many of the broken up cpu out off solution giving them a wash and placing in a seperate container. I had left, gold flake, black pins, cpu silicones, Salts and very small bits of ceramic. I was then lost as what to do? I decided togive it a wash in Hcl which seemed to not do much. I decided to see if Hcl and bleach would do anything. I put all the bulk in a plastic bucket added the Hcl and bleach and give it a good stir for 15 minutes. The solution went a nice golden color quite orange. I left it for a hour and then filtered it into a Lab beaker which removed a lot of salts and some black particles. I left over night to drive of the chlorine and returned the next day for step two. As the liquid was cloudy i decided to add a pint of water and filter once again. The filtering turned the solution much clearer and there was still salts in the bottom of the beaker which i tried to leave as much as possible in the beaker. The filter was very black so i at least got some of the crap out. I dropped what i had with SMB which turned the water clear but it did not settle as per normal. It remained in a black cloudy state but i could see what i hope is gold on the bottom. After leaving the solution for 30 minutes it cleared and i had some black/brown powder left in the bottom. I washed first in Hot HCL then 3 water rinses, followed by a small amount of sulphuric and and 3 more boiling water washs. I have been left with 2.8 of gold (i hope) powder. I am wondering what other metals may be in with it or if its fairly pure. I believe Iron looks like gold powder when dried. Could anyone let me know what they think.
Thanks.


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## rickbb (Jul 17, 2013)

Did you test with Stan before the SMB drop and again after? This would tell you if you left any behind.

The powder does look very high quality gold to me. Orange/brown color and clumping nicely, as it's supposed to. But then I've only dropped a half dozen batches myself. :lol: 

Now get a proper torch and melting dish, watch Steves video on melting a button, and enjoy the fruits of you labor.


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## IntelGold (Jul 17, 2013)

Yes, i tested before and after the drop. It was negative. I hope it is fairly pure. Its just a bit unexpected because of the way i done it. Maybe someone will give some input.


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## lazersteve (Jul 17, 2013)

Your photo appears to be gold powder, iron powder would easily dissolve in diluted HCl. I always dissolve my brown powder in a second run of AR, kill the excess nitric with sulfamic acid, filter 100% transparent and free of particulate, then precipitate a second time for highest purity. 

AP is not a good choice for ceramic cpus as the iron in the kovar fouls the reaction. I recommend diluted nitric acid, followed by AR. The silver from the cpus ends up in the nitric acid and the gold ends up in the dirty AR. The gold is then refined a second time to get the purity up over the industry standard for fine gold (99.95%+). Filtering your solutions free of *all sediment and cloudiness* is a very important step for getting your gold purity up.

Steve


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