# Question on Yields From Used Photo and X-Ray Film



## publius (Jul 24, 2012)

I am trying to set up a business plan to begin to recover and refine silver from medical/dental X-rays. I would like to offer clients two options.

One would be a percentage of recovery, either delivered as metal or as cash, with the other being a cash payment by the pound for expired (undeveloped) film and another rate for the mistakes and the radiographs that have reached the age where they can legally be disposed of.

I need yield data on the exposed film yield as it would have the largest variation. I want to provide a fair return to clients and at the same time make a profit. The profit need not be a large one, but I don't want to pay to process their scrap. At the same time I need to have such data to make the "elevator pitch" to a potential client.

Thank you in advance. If I have missed this data in my search, please feel free to rub my nose in it! :lol: 

Robert


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## jimdoc (Jul 24, 2012)

publius said:


> I am trying to set up a business plan to begin to recover and refine silver from medical/dental X-rays. I would like to offer clients two options.
> 
> One would be a percentage of recovery, either delivered as metal or as cash, with the other being a cash payment by the pound for expired (undeveloped) film and another rate for the mistakes and the radiographs that have reached the age where they can legally be disposed of.
> 
> ...



You missed this?

http://www.goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3735&p=50819hilit=rare+earth+litho#p50819

Jim


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## Palladium (Jul 24, 2012)

and this http://www.goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=84&t=5810


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## publius (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks Guys! :mrgreen:


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 24, 2012)

To profit from processing film, it is a high volume low profit business. I don't think you have any idea of what is involved and how difficult it is to process film.


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## Westerngs (Jul 24, 2012)

Here is a link from a company that processes film. It lists expected yields for different types of films.

I am in no way associated with this company.

http://www.sunvalleyfilmwash.com/index.php?pid=5


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 25, 2012)

Westerngs said:


> Here is a link from a company that processes film. It lists expected yields for different types of films.
> 
> I am in no way associated with this company.
> 
> http://www.sunvalleyfilmwash.com/index.php?pid=5


Those are right in line with my chart.


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## publius (Jul 25, 2012)

goldsilverpro said:


> To profit from processing film, it is a high volume low profit business. I don't think you have any idea of what is involved and how difficult it is to process film.



GSP, from 1990 to 1994 (when I retired from the US Navy) I operated a small precious metal recovery business in southern Virginia (Hampton Roads) where I processed mostly silver solder sweepings, photo fixer, and incinerator ash from hospitals. I did not process the dried exposed film and any expired film I had was run through a "surplus" auto processor where the fixer was recirculated through an electrolytic recovery (rotating SS electrode) unit. None of the equipment I had is available to me now, as I sold it when I moved north. It was not unusual for me to deliver 4-500 ozT to a buyer every quarter. Basically I got paid to clean incinerators and workshops and to haul away expired film. The exposed stuff was burned at the medical facilities so I never go any of that other than in the form of ashes.

In trying to put together a business plan, I have done several small scale experiments with feed stock provided, gratis, from a dental facility where I am a patient. The process seems simple, the chemicals are inexpensive (so far) and the process does not seem to be too involved. I still need to look into scaling up. Once I get a feel for equipment, chemical and facility lease costs, then I can decide if it is worthwhile to pursue.

I thank you so much for your candor and sharing you concerns. While I am not in desperate circumstances right now, I may be shortly, so I need to plan accordingly.

Robert Jeffery, CWI


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 25, 2012)

publius said:


> goldsilverpro said:
> 
> 
> > To profit from processing film, it is a high volume low profit business. I don't think you have any idea of what is involved and how difficult it is to process film.
> ...


The biggest problem I see with dental x-rays is that they are so small. Area-wise, I found on the internet that they (4 basic sizes) range from 1.2 in2 to 6.75in2. From this, I would estimate that it would take from 240 to 1300 of these to make a pound. In the 50 million pounds that I observed being processed at the place I worked (for about 4 years), we never got in a batch of dental x-rays, not once. Therefore, I have no idea of their Ag content. If they are the same as common rare earth medical x-rays, they will average about 0.1 oz/# - $2.72/#. If anyone is collecting these from dentists or dental labs, I have never heard of it. Here again, they are too small to make it worthwhile for most companies. The logistics of collecting them in volume would make it quite difficult. 

The process you used before is workable, of course. You probably used bleach-fix or separate solutions of bleach and fixer, to convert the black metallic silver to a chloride, which will dissolve in the thiosulfate (fixer). The Ag is then plated out on a rotating cathode. I also think the bleach fix can be regenerated for re-use. With the advent of dry processed film and digital x-rays, there should be a lot of the necessary equipment available used. Every hospital of any size had this equipment and many may have warehoused it. If you look around, you might be able to pick it up cheap.


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