# Help identify precipitate



## madelyn (Aug 7, 2014)

Can someone please help identify which metals these are? I got both from a sepperate ar selutions when I used amonium chloride 
To precipitate the platinum. There was no yellow precipitate which usually is platinum,it was only this.
One has a dark brown colour and the other is green.


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## Lou (Aug 7, 2014)

What was your starting material?

From what solution?


Thanks,


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## madelyn (Aug 7, 2014)

It came from catalytic converters and I used AR.


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## Lou (Aug 7, 2014)

You see rhodium-contaminated platinum salt (green) and palladium-contaminated platinum.


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## Lou (Aug 7, 2014)

Just a gentle reminder that working with platinum salts outside of an enclosed environment is not healthy and poses a risk for persistent contamination of your surroundings.


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## madelyn (Aug 7, 2014)

Thanks a lot Lou and I do work in a fume hood.
What would I have to do to get the clean platinum from both these precipitate.


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## Lou (Aug 7, 2014)

There would be no benefit to you even generating the precipitate, let alone cleaning it up. Your payment terms will likely not change so long as it is mostly Pt/Pd/Rh.
*You will be best served selling the catalyst as is to a large consolidator.*

If you are concerned about fair payment and want to see the actual metal in your hand, I would strongly advise you to reconsider. Seeing it on paper is just as good as in person when they both end up in the bank, but one is with less headache. It is cheaper to set up to mill/sample/assay the material than the cost in handling this material appropriately/safely given the large volume of aqueous waste generation and concomitant contamination of the work environment with mists of allergenic chloroplatinic acid.

I understand some members here like to work with the catalytic converters and low grade material, but really, I think it is bad practice to do so. It requires a very high level of workplace hygiene to obtain the pure metal as it is, and a much higher level to be dealing with several hundred ppm Pt(IV) solutions in quantity. Platinum recovery and refining is no joke.

If you must persist, be sure to bag your gloves/wipes/etc and keep them as high grade sweeps for thermal reduction. The bag is for your protection when handling.


Lou


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## 4metals (Aug 8, 2014)

I agree with Lou 100% (not just 99.99% a full 100% ! )

There is nice dust free equipment made today to de-can and grind up to small pieces the cats which can be sampled and assayed. 

These machines do a wonderful job, and they have all sizes.

View attachment VORTEX CAT Converter equipment 2013 (2).pdf


Then you can do your chemistry in a lab, much more civilized!


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