# A question about Gold Plated Pins



## AgAuPtRh (Mar 20, 2007)

It seems there are quite a few kinds of electronic connector pins and legs for resistors, capacitors etc.. Some are considered to be of the size and plated values that the electrolytic solution is the solution. 

What about the lesser graded and smaller pins--like those out of the flat ribbon cables? Seems it would take a century or two at least to go through a pound of them in an electrolytic cell. 

Having never used an electrolytic cell to recover gold, and not knowing too much of what to expect I have been wondering...........hhhmmmmmm

If I were to take a small lot of the lesser graded gold plated pins and melt them together, pour to a mold, then do a dip in the electrolytic cell----will that process only allow the surface plated gold to drop in to the solution? or will the electro process allow whatever gold is trapped, no matter how deep in the base metal it may be, to be freed from the base metals????

I have been working on putting a cell together for some summer time recovery and refining and am looking to see just how far I push that bad boy to work. Discovering limitations on a small scale has usually been a good learning tool. 

I have heard about leaching with cyanide----I have more chems around me now than I am truly comfortable with and not looking to add one more.

Any thoughts on melting then dipping in the cell??????


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## Noxx (Mar 20, 2007)

If you melt the metals togeder, you will create an alloy and the cell won't be able to recover it. Electrolytic process only recovers gold on the surface, where the acid touches.


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## lazersteve (Mar 20, 2007)

Hello,

It's a nice surpirse to see you here tonight. 

The melted pins would be best compared to an alloy. The electrolytic cell doesn't work well on alloys in this configuration for reason that are beyond me.

There are a few solutions however:

1) Make a screen basket as mentioned in another post.

They work fairly well but still take time.

2) Use nitric, ferric chloride, AR or numerous other solvents to do the dirty work. 

3) Use another type of electrolytic cell that does dissolve karated gold (I'll show you this one later).


Steve


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## AgAuPtRh (Mar 20, 2007)

Thank You Both.

I've had these butter tubs of pins laying around for quite some time. I don't think the recovery or refining yield would be high. But tit all adds up after awhile ehh?


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## Noxx (Mar 20, 2007)

lol yes right.
We don't know, maybe tomorrow gold will worth +5000$/oz and you could get many $ from your pins


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