# Just broke the process; Can project be saved???



## undertow (Jan 24, 2011)

Hello all,
I haven't been researching/refining long and I fear I've made a mistake on my first run. For starters, I used "Poor mans" Nitric; definatly contaminated with HCL. The solution quikly turned dark. Over a few days the solution separated; Dark Brown/Black below with Blue/Green on top. Note* Dark solution has a gold glitter in it; some of which has begun to settle.
After draining, Im left with 1 multi colored/multi grain pile of PM's at the bottom of 1st container-1 jar of blue solution-1 jar of black solution

1. Where do I go from here?
2. Shall I post pictures?

If Im screwed, then just tell me. If this project can be salvaged, then I will kindly send a portion of this batch via mail to the lucky helper.


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## jimdoc (Jan 24, 2011)

What were you processing and how much?
Do you have stannous?
You jumped in too fast,like many others have before you,and probably many others
to come in the future.You can never do too much reading of the forum before you get
started.That should only help you build up more items to process,and the knowledge
to do it right and safely.

Jim


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## Palladium (Jan 24, 2011)

Describe exactly what you did and the material you were working with.


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## undertow (Jan 24, 2011)

Ok, started by making nitric with HCL+ Sodium Nitrate + Copper to start reaction. Ended up with "Poor mans" Nitric. I used misc. CPU chips and Ram cards and soaked them in this halfass Nitric solution. The video mentioned that this particular Nitric will be contaminated and rather weak. I produced 250mls of this Nitric in a series of 50ml incriments over a day. Each batch, I would dump the product onto the CPU chips until they where covered. Gold was dropping/flaking off, but solution did not turn blue or green. On the last "Dump", and Im positive it was contaminated, the solution quikly turned Black/ Dark Brown. After a few days there were two distinct layers in the container. A Blue/Green on top and a Dark Brown/ Black on bottom. Via eye dropper, I continued to meticulously separate each layer into two containers. Please view attached pictures ;D

* Gold/Dark sediment in black jar
* No sediment in Green jar
* Left overs- appears to be alittle of everything???

Jim, I do not have Stannous. I will definatly aquire some if it will help. Please advise?


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## goldenchild (Jan 24, 2011)

Type 2


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## undertow (Jan 24, 2011)

Black sediment glitters with gold. Could this solution be AR?


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## bigjohn (Jan 24, 2011)

Holy Smokes!!! That's some stew you got there. :roll:


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## eeTHr (Jan 24, 2011)

undertow---

That doesn't sound so bad.

I would first siphon off the top blue-green layer, as close to the dark brown as is practical, into a closable container, put the top on it, and set it aside. Then siphon off the dark brown layer as close to the sediment as you can get with sucking up any of the sediment. Add some water to the sediment to double the volume, swish it around or stir it, then siphon it into the dark brown container. Repeat until the water in the sediment is clear, but put the clear water into the dark brown container anyway.

Then test the dark brown solution with stannous, by putting a couple drops into a white plastic spoon. Since you have already added the siphoned water solutions from rinsing the sediment, it should be lightened enough to see through now, but if not, add a drop or two of water to make it transparent. Then add a drop of stannous. If it doesn't go purple or black, add another drop or two of stannous, because it might have too much nitric in it to hold the purple color.

If you get a positive indication with stannous, from the dark brown solution, hang a piece of copper in it to precipitate (this method of precipitation is referred to as _cementation_) any gold, silver, or platinum group metals (copper will drop anything of value, and leave the rest in solution). let it sit a couple of days, accumulating powder on the bottom, scrape any values stuck on the copper, off into the powder on the bottom, then siphon off the solution into a large container which will be your stock pot. Rinse the powder a couple times by adding a little water, swish or stir, and siphon. Just save all your "spent" solutions in a stock pot this way and you can probably recover a little more from it when it gets full. When you use just nitric, keep the nitric and HCl stock pots separate.

Handle the blue-green solution the same way as the dark brown solution.

If either solution doesn't indicate positive with the stannous, put them together in a large stock pot for later, as above.

Refine the sediment now, or wait and add the dropped powder from the solutions, if any.

That's what I would do.


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## bigjohn (Jan 24, 2011)

goldenchild said:


> Type 2



I would have to disagree. If there was any reading involved he would not have threw a bunch of stuff together.


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## eeTHr (Jan 24, 2011)

undertow---

I just read your second and third posts.

I misunderstood your acid solution. For some reason I thought you made poor man's AR.

Since it is all nitric, just rinse the sediment like I mentioned, and use copper in the solutions. Poor man's nitric _can_ be contaminated with a form of Cl, like you mentioned, so it can dissolve a little gold. And nitric _will_ dissolve silver and I think palladium, anyway.

Make a nitric stock pot with the solution, or dispose of it. Before you toss it out, though, read the section on Safe Waste Disposal.

Then refine the sediment. I usually never filter solid values. AR will dissolve the gold, and leave the plastic. Then put the _pregnant solution _through a filter, leaving the plastic caught in the filter. Follow the pregnant solution with water to rinse it out of the filter. This leaves you with clean AuCl to process into Au powder, as usual.

P.S. You don't need to "start" nitric with copper. You can do that with the HCl/peroxide, though.


Edited for clarifications.


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## undertow (Jan 24, 2011)

Sweet! If this works, then each one of you deserves a piece of the pie!


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## lazersteve (Jan 24, 2011)

Welcome to the forum,

Poorman's nitric does not contain any HCl not even 1 drop, Poorman's AR does.

You have the results of mixing too many types of varied scrap and using the wrong approach to extract the base metals first. You should have started with AP or Poorman's Nitric (H2SO4 + NaNO3 search for the recipe).

Since you started with the poorman's AR, I would suggest that you continue on the path and finish the deed the way you started it. 

Here a link to the Modified Poorman's AR method:

Modified Poorman's AR

Read it all from start to finish *after soaking up what's in the *Guided Tour Link and reading Hoke (also in the Guided Tour).

Get some stannous chloride before you move forward.

Steve


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## patnor1011 (Jan 25, 2011)

undertow said:


> Sweet! If this works, then each one of you deserves a piece of the pie!



Do not be too excited. If picture is showing exact amount of material you processed there is no pie for sharing. All I can see and that is close guess is that you have there cca 10 green fiber CPU with 0.2-0.4 $ worth of gold each, and about 5-6 small RAM sticks from notebook with nearly the same values in them. 
I would say that this batch looks like testing batch where you will have hard time to see gold actually, and whatever gold got from it will not cover 1/10th of costs of chemicals and time involved.

By performing this test-experiment your gain will be knowledge that it is not worth to start things before you get yourself prepared. It all depend on amount of material involved and knowledge and skills. You are on good path, knowledge is here and skills will came when you put your knowledge to tests/experiments. 
Yes, according to various ebay manuals anyone can do it. 
Yes, anyone can do it - but not everyone will have success.


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## Claudie (Jan 25, 2011)

I think many people have the misunderstanding that computers are full of gold parts. Everything in there must be covered with gold or why would people be scraping them out? I get people wanting to sell me non working, 10 year old gateway towers for $50 - $100 each and assume that I will buy them and still make a hefty profit. People see gold plated pins or fingers on e-bay and think that they are solid or heavy plated gold. I am thinking that if people knew the truth about the amount of gold in old computers, they wouldn't even bother.... :|


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## undertow (Jan 25, 2011)

Claudie said:


> I think many people have the misunderstanding that computers are full of gold parts. Everything in there must be covered with gold or why would people be scraping them out? I get people wanting to sell me non working, 10 year old gateway towers for $50 - $100 each and assume that I will buy them and still make a hefty profit. People see gold plated pins or fingers on e-bay and think that they are solid or heavy plated gold. I am thinking that if people knew the truth about the amount of gold in old computers, they wouldn't even bother.... :|



So we are all wasting our time and this site is for true hardcore's with not much else to do in life? 

Motion: I think negativity should be banned from this site? jajajaja (joking)


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## undertow (Jan 25, 2011)

patnor1011 said:


> undertow said:
> 
> 
> > Sweet! If this works, then each one of you deserves a piece of the pie!
> ...



For starters Gold is Gold. 1/3rd of the 3 G's (Spaniard Belief).
What about all the other PM's? I'am interested in everything, even if its worth .5 cents.


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## patnor1011 (Jan 25, 2011)

The question is if it is worth to recover 0.5 with costs several times exceeding value.
What we do here is that we are gaining knowledge. That is primary reason why most of us are here. We are helping each other. You got help too even that you dont see that yet.
It was stated on forum several times in various threads. Processing electronics, recovery of gold from computers on small scale in garage or shed is not profitable. Its just hobby.


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## qst42know (Jan 25, 2011)

undertow said:


> Hello all,
> I haven't been researching/refining long and I fear I've made a mistake on my first run. For starters, I used "Poor mans" Nitric; definatly contaminated with HCL. The solution quikly turned dark. Over a few days the solution separated; Dark Brown/Black below with Blue/Green on top. Note* Dark solution has a gold glitter in it; some of which has begun to settle.
> After draining, Im left with 1 multi colored/multi grain pile of PM's at the bottom of 1st container-1 jar of blue solution-1 jar of black solution
> 
> ...



You were watching the nerdrage videos on utube weren't you.
You will find better formulas here on the forum.


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## Claudie (Jan 25, 2011)

undertow said:


> Claudie said:
> 
> 
> > I think many people have the misunderstanding that computers are full of gold parts. Everything in there must be covered with gold or why would people be scraping them out? I get people wanting to sell me non working, 10 year old gateway towers for $50 - $100 each and assume that I will buy them and still make a hefty profit. People see gold plated pins or fingers on e-bay and think that they are solid or heavy plated gold. I am thinking that if people knew the truth about the amount of gold in old computers, they wouldn't even bother.... :|
> ...




I'm not wasting my time here. I don't think the others feel they are wasting their time here either. Well, some may feel that way, answering the same questions over & over again for people who choose not to listen if it's not the easy answer they were looking for. If you have patience and stick it out, if you can read and are willing to do your part, I think you can learn a lot here too. Be safe, have fun, and post some pictures of that "first button" when you get it!


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## Oz (Jan 25, 2011)

Undertow,

Your signature line is completely inappropriate! I could care less if it is a Rick James quote or not, foul language will not be tolerated on the forum. Since all of your posts are in this thread I am notifying you here so you cannot miss a PM. I am removing your signature on these 6 posts and expect you to delete your signature line in your profile NOW.


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## undertow (Jan 25, 2011)

Oz said:


> Undertow,
> 
> Your signature line is completely inappropriate! I could care less if it is a Rick James quote or not, foul language will not be tolerated on the forum. Since all of your posts are in this thread I am notifying you here so you cannot miss a PM. I am removing your signature on these 6 posts and expect you to delete your signature line in your profile NOW.




But they say that word on TV all the time bitch. Now this site is PG13??? It was and still is a joke since I won't be getting rich bitch. jajajajajaja

*Ok, smart guy. I doh't take to clever people disrespcting anyone on this forum, especially a moderator. I'm giving you two weeks to think about your attitude. Get rid of your sig line and come back with manners, or the vacation will be permanent. You are now officially banned for two weeks. 

Harold*


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## joem (Jan 25, 2011)

oh oh now you've done it :roll:


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## eeTHr (Jan 25, 2011)

goldenchild---

I think he just went from a 2 to a 2.5.

:shock:


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## Claudie (Jan 25, 2011)

Ya know, I doubt he will finish that gold.... :|


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## joem (Jan 25, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> goldenchild---
> 
> I think he just went from a 2 to a 2.5.
> 
> :shock:



Naw,a wanna be 2, but just a zero
To come back a disrespect the heart of this forum is just a Pahtak.
:evil:



> If Im screwed, then just tell me


oh and btw ; You are now.


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## Harold_V (Jan 26, 2011)

This clever individual just bought two weeks to review his attitude and change his sig line. The next time he disrespects anyone on the board will be the last time. 

It should be noted that I deleted two of his posts, both condescending in nature. That doesn't fly here. 

Harold


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## Oz (Jan 26, 2011)

Harold just did you a big favor by seeing this before I replied. Below is what I was getting ready to post and do. 

Oh my, you must be so proud of yourself with your whit and prose. I am not one prone to immediate, harsh, and permanent actions. However you have made your point ever so eloquently that you completely lack the skills needed to function within polite society, that I must acquiesce to your obvious intended wishes and ban you.

I care not what you see on your TV, but as long as I have been on this forum the doctrine has always been that we will maintain an atmosphere that anyone of us can have our mother or our children looking over our shoulder seeing what is written here without being offended or ashamed. That will not change if I am to be a part of it.

At this point it is not so much about the “words” you chose, but about your attitude. I believe your attitude is beyond reformation for a good number of years. Perhaps one day you will find it in your best interest to “grow up” despite what number of years you may have obtained.

Unfortunately for you, you have a problem that you wished to have fixed for you. Through your immature behavior you have lost that opportunity. You found the best place on the internet when it comes to advice and experience in precious metals refining. My job is to keep it just such a place.

Goodbye… 

To the rest of the forum I apologize, as I will leave this thread as an example to others that consider taking such a path. Of course I will edit out the offending language.“

After seeing Harold’s reply, you have a reprieve. I will leave it to Harold’s discretion as to editing your posts. If you have any desire to learn refining, shape up or ship out.


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## goldenchild (Jan 26, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> goldenchild---
> 
> I think he just went from a 2 to a 2.5.
> 
> :shock:


At least now he will have plenty of time to read Hoke. :|


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