# How to Refine Iridium



## Mgnaing (Oct 20, 2012)

How to refine iridium after refining of gold , pt, pd and rh in raw platinum ores


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## butcher (Oct 20, 2012)

Are you going to tell us how? Or asking a question?


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## Mgnaing (Oct 21, 2012)

butcher said:


> Are you going to tell us how? Or asking a question?



I had read many about refining processes of platinum group metals but i can't find the way how to refine iridium in detail process ?... Can anyone help me ? 

With regards, 
Mgnain


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## nickvc (Oct 21, 2012)

Platinum group metals are generally difficult to refine and I think iridium must be at the top of that difficulty scale, there are few here on the forum with much experience with iridium, Lou might be your best bet if he's not too busy or wishes to share his knowledge.


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## DONNZ (Oct 21, 2012)

Good starting place is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irridium

‪Iridium‬


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## HAuCl4 (Oct 21, 2012)

It's all here, more or less. Read it well, including the papers there, and ask away. If you already separated all the metals mentioned in your post, then it's even simpler!.  

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=14268


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## Labman (Oct 26, 2012)

There are just two methods to refine iridium (quickly and efficiently): Fusion with sodium chloride in an atmosphere of chlorine and fusion with sodium or barium peroxide (mixed with Na2O 40/60) and solvation in aqua regia or concentrated HCl. The cooled mass from the NaCl/Cl2 method dissolves in water and is afterward acidified with HBr or HCl. Concentrating the solutions and treatment with ammonium chloride precipitates platinum first and then a delayed reaction occurs with the iridium and the ammonium chloride precipitates it as well. Heating or sintering can reduce it to metal, but hydrazine works better. Once precipitated as a metallic, beware that finely divided iridium will self ignite in atmospheric oxygen. If you get some powder on yourself, do not use an air compressor to blow it off. It will ignite. It is illegal to ship powder iridium by air because of it's high flamability.


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## Lou (Oct 26, 2012)

That's not technically true. Solubilization isn't refining and there are more ways than that...it's also soluble in molten cyanides and it will go under high pressure and temperature solution chlorination.


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## freechemist (Nov 5, 2012)

*Mgnaing:*

A lot of information about the subject you may find in: _"Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry"_, Volume 2, second edition, edited by Georg Brauer; 1965, Academic Press.
The book is available, together with the first volume as an ocr-file from: http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/index.html 

Good luck and regards, freechemist


*labman:*

_"Once precipitated as a metallic, beware that finely divided iridium will self ignite in atmospheric oxygen."_

In my hands, that never happened. We stored small samples of pure Ir-powder for years in small petri-dishes, only loosely covered by a second, somewhat bigger petri dish, as demonstration-samples and for small experiments. I, myself bought once a few grams from a reknown refiner, who sent it to me by ordinary mail as a fine, heavy, grey powder, sealed in a small plastic bag, packed in a small glass container, covered with a plastic-stopper.


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## Labman (Nov 6, 2012)

http://www.acialloys.com/msds/ir.html Read for yourself the official warning of finely divided iridium powder. Maybe what you had wasn't finely divided or was iridium dioxide. My safety warning stands and I hope the boss doesn't find out that I posted this message.


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## Lou (Nov 6, 2012)

It's a blanket warning for all powdered metals and is as rooted in legal precedence and CYA as it is in actual concern over pyrophoricity.

I handle Ir in many forms (as well as Pd and Pt blacks) and I've only ever had pyrophoricity problems with hydrogen saturated rhenium and palladium or in improperly rinsed spent Adam's catalyst.

Labman, go read the MSDS for water.


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## Labman (Nov 6, 2012)

Lou, you are so sure of your superior knowledge and experience. It seems my efforts to help others will always be in vain. Cover yourself with fine iridium powder and then use the air compressor to blow it off. Harold, the temptation to post on the forum is too great and endangers my position here at the refinery. The wisest thing for me to do is to request that you proceed to ban me from this forum. Thank you sir.


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## butcher (Nov 6, 2012)

I hear that water can be some very dangerous stuff. :lol: 

Fine metal powders are much more reactive than the metals they came from, so the warnings on the reactivity of these fine powders should be taken into consideration when we deal with them.

Labman, why the negative reaction, and response, when someone states facts, these facts Lou posted had nothing to do with you or your experience in this field, why the temptations, and accusations that facts endanger your position at the refinery, there is no need to ban you, if you can follow forum rules and give up some of that know it all pride, just stating the facts as you understand them, and learning when you do not understand them correctly, and do not try to use the forum to deceive others, your participation on the forum would be welcome, just be honest in who you are, and work with others to help them and accept their help if they correct misleading information, how else can you learn and we learn from you?

If you do not want to be here on the forum why ask to be banned? You can just not log on if you did not want to be here, besides you know if we banned you could just use another identity, and nothing would change.

Labman please just cut out all of that nonsense.


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## jimdoc (Nov 6, 2012)

Labman seems to follow his mentor, right off the forum.
Adios. We won't miss you.

Jim


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## Lou (Nov 6, 2012)

The guy is a troll, plain and simple. He gets on here, sees some subjects, hits Wikipedia, gets his expertise and then talks about the dangers of blowing iridium powder off with an air compressor.
I'd be more worried about micron-sized diamonds getting all over me and those being pyrophoric! That and they will have a much higher heat of combustion...

Rather than addressing how idiotic/ludicrous his scenario is, I merely said that the threat is overly exaggerated and stated my own experience in handling it.
Given that it is very difficult to make IrO2 from the elements _intentionally_, it would have to be a fluke/freak scenario. 

What I was really thinking: what type of refiner gets high value powders all over himself and then blows it all over the place with the air hose? A sloppy amateur who doesn't know iridium from iron? Or intentionally produces a black which are hard to wash and filter? Again, amateur).

Ah, but then I read about how hydrazine is better than calcination (in his first post in this thread) and I knew then that he's an armchair "chemist" who has never reduced iridium salts with hydrazine. By the way, it is a royal pain--N2H4 is absurdly slow and horribly wasteful of hydrazine relative to Pd or Pt. I've done it enough times to say that hydrogen is better, at least for iridium sponge.

Labman, go buy some iridium black, get over to my shop, and I've got a nice big 50 HP air compressor--plenty of air. Bring about 10-15 t oz of it, I want to be completely covered with it. Put your money where your mouth is! If I don't burn to death, I'm going to have you sweep and mop the Ir off the floor and then I am keeping it, refining it, selling it, and donating the proceeds to charity.


And Butcher, you're one of the wisest men I know.


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## goldsilverpro (Nov 6, 2012)

I notice that no one has banned you yet, labman or Dr.Poe or whoever you are this week. Maybe you're still here because it's enjoyable for us to watch you make a fool of yourself. So far, the stupidest thing you've done is to argue with Lou. He can run rings around you.


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## Labman (Nov 6, 2012)

Lou, it was wrong for me to tell you to do a suicidal act just to prove my point. Please don't do such a thing! I don't care that you don't believe me. I came back on to see if I was indeed banned. My conscience says to me that to allow this to continue is just plain wrong. No, I'm not him; and no I won't reveal any more of the greater facts that the best on the forum seem to be completely devoid. One can't even reveal the common ways to process silver here without a potshot aimed at him. When do you people have time to process precious metals? You seem too busy playing Peyton Place.


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## Palladium (Nov 6, 2012)

Wow! and i thought i had issues! :mrgreen:


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## jimdoc (Nov 7, 2012)

Labman said:


> Lou, it was wrong for me to tell you to do a suicidal act just to prove my point. Please don't do such a thing! I don't care that you don't believe me. I came back on to see if I was indeed banned. My conscience says to me that to allow this to continue is just plain wrong. No, I'm not him; and no I won't reveal any more of the greater facts that the best on the forum seem to be completely devoid. One can't even reveal the common ways to process silver here without a potshot aimed at him. When do you people have time to process precious metals? You seem too busy playing Peyton Place.




You still here?


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## nickvc (Nov 7, 2012)

goldsilverpro said:


> I notice that no one has banned you yet, labman or Dr.Poe or whoever you are this week. Maybe you're still here because it's enjoyable for us to watch you make a fool of yourself. So far, the stupidest thing you've done is to argue with Lou. He can run rings around you.



We really need a like button!


Labman your attempts to provoke or belittle Butcher earned you my ire and sarcasm but to try and provoke yet another one of our leading and most knowledgeable members, Lou, shows a complete lack of manners, education and common sense. If Lou told me anything I would take that as the truth, he has nothing to prove, he's done that already many many times, as have many others.
Take my advice and if you can't behave in a gentlemanly manner with respect for the forum and it's members, moderators and owner don't bother to post or comment.


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## kurt (Nov 7, 2012)

:lol: you gotta admit we get some real enteraining people on the forum from time to time :roll: 

I may not be the smartest guy in the refiners cookie jar - but I can certainly recognize a guy thats so full of himself he is of little or no help or value to anyone else

Labman - MANY fine divided metal powders will self ignite - IF - conditions are "made" just right --- but then those of us here on the forum that work at & discuss refining are already aware of this (& the many other dangers involved in refining) you are not talking to a crowd of dummies here -so get off your high horse

My zinc powders could self igniting - but is it likely - NO - not unless the conditions are "made" just right

Kurt


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## Lou (Nov 7, 2012)

Labman,

Some would call breaking the speed of sound in a spacesuit from 120K feet up an act of suicide.
The man who did that jumped many times before building up to that. He had confidence in what he did and the sum of his previous experiences.

While I'll never jump off a platform 23 miles up, I'll certainly take my risk with your iridium powder.
I've poured and filled plenty of bottles of it (there are members here who own my material) and never had cause for alarm. Come on, just get over here with some of it and let's see who is right. If you stand by your knowledge, I'll stand by mine. I'll sign a waiver. I'm not making any money from it--if you're wrong it'll go towards a good cause (probably would make a poll here titled "Labman was wrong--to which charity should I donate the proceeds of his false pride?").

I know you don't care if I believe you but I know you care about your reputation. This forum gets more page reads than every Johnson Matthey site. This is a happening place!


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## HAuCl4 (Nov 7, 2012)

Back to the OP topic: Jimdoc has posted also the modified lead fusion method paper by Gilchrist to separate Iridium. If there is iron or Ruthenium contamination, then that also will have to be dealt with. With Platinum-Iridium alloys that method will produce very pure separation of metals.


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## Labman (Nov 9, 2012)

I invite readers to Google: "is iridium flammable" and decide for themselves.


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## butcher (Nov 9, 2012)

Caution Iron powders are flammable!

Caution rust is flammable!

That rust can explode in a very hot melt, when mixed with other fine metal powders!

Rust has created such heat that they used it to weld very thick metal together like railroad rails.

It can form thermite, this powder, when lit with a magnesium ribbon or other chemical reaction can melt thick iron like rail road rails together, which would be very hard to weld with other methods

Dust can be explosive!

I cannot say how flammable iridium powder is as I am sure there are dangers in it being flammable, as many fine metal powders are flammable in fine powders, but these same powders like rust may not normally be a problem unless handled in certain conditions.

Labman as long as you keep these moot points or facts and arguments going all you are doing is ruining your own reputation further here on the forum.

Be cautious with fine metal powders, or dust as they are more reactive,and can pose dangers if handled improperly, that is a very valid point, but to try and argue nonsense, and troll the forum is not going to get you anywhere.

I cannot believe a man of your intelligence cannot see the nonsense in all of this, maybe you are not as intelligent as I have given you credit for.


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## Labman (Nov 13, 2012)

Ditto


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## AVOGEL522 (Dec 31, 2020)

I feel like anyone coming here to learn is going to be sorely disappointed when they find out its a bunch of people who think they are smarter than the next one and its nothink but dick measuring. Put your egos to the side and get over yourselves. Just stick to refining or shutup because what you know doesnt make you king shit.


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## g_axelsson (Dec 31, 2020)

And with that we will not see AVOGEL522 here anymore. He's been permanently banned.

Göran


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## Martijn (Dec 31, 2020)

Very eloquently put sir.
Ever considered most replies are based upon experience and knowledge? Made by respected members. 
This forum is a treasure of information and will warn people from making mistakes and possibly getting themselves, or other less experienced members that read this, in danger.


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## galenrog (Dec 31, 2020)

Personally, I think the banhammer should have come out after his first two posts back in May. Then, again, I am an extremist. 

Time for more coffee.


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## g_axelsson (Dec 31, 2020)

I agree, but at that time I was on a hiatus. Covid, no work and just fed up by the sheer stupidity some people displays put me off the forum from February to August. :mrgreen: 

Göran


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## galenrog (Dec 31, 2020)

The frustrations of life affect us all. The differences are how each of us react.


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