# Burning palladium



## Marcel (Nov 20, 2012)

Every time I get very clean Pd, the button start to sparkle and deminishes. Within seconds it can loose half of its weight to burning.
I am using butane 65% + propylen 25% + propane 10% +oxygen. Any tipps on how to avoid these losses?

Marcel


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## Lino1406 (Nov 22, 2012)

When palladium (a nasty material to melt) burns
it becomes an oxide - not a gas. Therefore it
is a splash, not burning. I suppose that
a higher melting (than borax) aid is the
answer


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## Marcel (Nov 23, 2012)

Lino1406 said:


> When palladium (a nasty material to melt) burns
> it becomes an oxide - not a gas. Therefore it
> is a splash, not burning. I suppose that
> a higher melting (than borax) aid is the
> answer


Yes, I didnt chose my words right, it somehow sparkles and the drips will hit the crucible walls and condense there, so I guess it could even be recovered later. But still it is annoying to see a quite large button shrinking within seconds to almost nothing after all this work..  
I am even thinking about leaving the melting to some pro company. Maybe adding silver could help to decrease the melting point. My furnace goes to 1200°C, that is a long way to go.
I think I read about quarz sand in a jewlery book to cover metals and avoid oxidation while melting. This also leaves the surface clean from oxidation which will occor when Pd is heated above 400°C. Maybe also carbon could work for that purpose?
The think is, as long as I have the material contaminated with CuCl that does not happen. But then I get many tiny Pd balls that doe not come toghether as one button. And you need much more energy to make it melt. The molten CuCl later can be cracked easily. But that is also no easy solution.


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## Lino1406 (Nov 25, 2012)

Unfortunately quartz is also low in MP
then Palladium. Of course, silver
or copper addition is acceptable
though you get an alloy of course


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## scheppy (Dec 13, 2012)

You could try a flux made of 1 part borax, 1 part crushed glass-beer bottles work good for this....remember to wear a mask when handling powdered glass tho (silicosis)....if the melt is too thick, add a tiny bit more borax....I'm a glassblower, so this is familiar to me 8)


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## Lou (Dec 14, 2012)

You shouldn't melt Pd in air for this reason. You can melt it without the oxidation issue with oxygen-hydrogen with the flame slightly reducing.


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