# Help identifying this



## Salburr (Mar 17, 2017)

Hi all, I have not seen this in the first 6 pages of the PM scrap threads so I thought I would ask.....





These little squares have SW on the pcb so I assume switches of some sort, but I snapped one in half and am now wondering if they have PM in them. The tab that goes inside is gold coloured.... The center almost looks silverish .....Anyone familiar with this? It is a low end junk board, but the more I read on here, the more I realize there is value in the strangest pieces. Decided to just scrap for a while and keep reading before I start mucking with the chemicals.


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## everydayisalesson (Mar 17, 2017)

Those are switches and sometimes have a really small silver contact inside. Sometimes silver plated over copper. Almost all switches will have this. These days its more plated than anything.

Mike


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## Salburr (Mar 19, 2017)

Thanks everyday.... Nobody else is jumping in saying they have a bucket full so i guess not worth saving


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## Salburr (Mar 19, 2017)

Oops hit wrong button before I I could post next pics... Has anyone seen these little orange capacitors? They are very abundant on the board and seem to have a hard center, but I cannot find a pic of them maybe being tantalum anywhere. They do not look like any type of cap....
Thanks in advance


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## UncleBenBen (Mar 19, 2017)

Salburr said:


> Oops hit wrong button before I I could post next pics... Has anyone seen these little orange capacitors? They are very abundant on the board and seem to have a hard center, but I cannot find a pic of them maybe being tantalum anywhere. They do not look like any type of cap....
> Thanks in advance



Those are MLCCs like the surface mounted ones, only encapsulated with through hole leads. They look like the same ones I have here that tested as Pd if I remember right. I've slept a few times since then... 8)


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## g_axelsson (Mar 19, 2017)

MLCC:s

Göran


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## Salburr (Mar 20, 2017)

Thank you both for the answer, I will collect them too. One last question and then I'll have these weird things out of the road for now. I have not read anywhere yet about this but when you pull off the aluminum capacitors, they often leave the metal connection sticking off the board. I don't have any test chemicals yet (next order of business) but these leads are super flexible and non-magnetic. Aluminum or silver or ?


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## kernels (Mar 20, 2017)

Tinned copper. 0% chance that they are silver


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## g_axelsson (Mar 20, 2017)

Almost agreed, tinned iron or copper, test with a magnet.
If you can pull the metal piece apart and it is white inside and not magnetic then it could be aluminum.

Zero chance that it is silver.

Göran


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## Salburr (Mar 20, 2017)

Thanks kernels and Goran,.... bummer i started out before reading (or in this case asking) by putting them in with my relay contacts thinking Ag... duh. Oh well, only about a 1/4 cup to sort through. Much appreciated guys.


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## g_axelsson (Mar 20, 2017)

Try using a magnet to sort them, the legs are often made from tinned soft iron.

Göran


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## Shaul (Mar 26, 2017)

I wouldn't say that the silver-plated contacts in micro-switches aren't worth saving. It just depends on how many you have. In the beginning it can be very depressing and frustrating when you look at your jar with the 5 contacts (or MLCC's, or any other tiny component) inside, but when you realize that every additional one makes that jar just a little bit more valuable, you'll be looking out for them everywhere and pretty soon you'll have 500/1000/5,000 (whatever). Read the Forum, search the Archives, become knowledgeable in what is valuable. Personally, I can't believe how much stuff I tossed before I learned what had value. It is always better to err on the side of caution.


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