# First time refining.



## TheGoldFart (May 23, 2013)

Hi everyone. Just wanted to show off my very first flakes. I got these from my first small test/trial (and error) batch of pins. They were processed in HCL in a crockpot for about 36hrs. This is a photo of them during the washing process. Thank you for the wealth of information.


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## jeneje (May 23, 2013)

Nice work :mrgreen: , are you going to process them?

Ken


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## TheGoldFart (May 24, 2013)

Probably not until I get a bit more. It was a small batch of pins. I am working on securing material for another batch. Hopefully within a month I will have enough for a nice good sized batch (for my skill level) of fingers and another small batch of pins.


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## makis (Aug 14, 2013)

TheGoldFart said:


> Hi everyone. Just wanted to show off my very first flakes. I got these from my first small test/trial (and error) batch of pins. They were processed in HCL in a crockpot for about 36hrs. This is a photo of them during the washing process. Thank you for the wealth of information.


*only HCL...????*


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## patnor1011 (Aug 14, 2013)

Yeah, warm HCl.
Search forum for many posts about it. Crock pot.


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## MysticColby (Aug 15, 2013)

HCl will dissolve copper. It takes longer than HCl+H2O2.
quick explanation from http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080808213804AAbpVAa:
Actually, it's the CuO on the surface of the copper metal that reacts with the acid, producing copper (II) ions in solution. Copper (II) reacts with copper metal to make yellow copper (I) ions, so the solution which is a mixture of copper (I) and copper (II) ions appears green. Copper (I) chloride is insoluble but the copper (I) will quickly oxidize to copper (II) and so the copper ions will stay in solution. So it appears that copper metal is dissolving in HCl, when, in fact, it's the CuO that's reacting.


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## Geo (Aug 15, 2013)

copper does not look yellow in solution. iron looks yellow, but not copper (copper is green to aquamarine in hcl and blue in nitric). hcl alone will not dissolve copper. if you place a clean piece of copper in hcl, there will be no reaction. if the copper stays in the hcl (32% 20 degrees baume being 68% water) long enough (it takes a really long time) the water (H2O) in the acid will give up an oxygen atom to the copper forming copper oxide which will then be converted to copper chloride. copper chloride will etch copper.


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