# Will MgO interfer with recovery of Ag?



## rickbb (Jun 15, 2014)

The only information I can find on studies done to recover PM's from plasma displays starts with glass powders and using the known methods to leach out the PM, (mostly silver).

But the silver is under a coating of magnesium oxide, (MgO), would this MgO be a contaminate that would have to be dealt with somehow. 

None of the published methods I can find even mentions dealing with MgO, although many articles deal with using dilute acids to disolve Mgo that converts the magnesium oxide to magnesium cloride. Wouldn't having magnesium cloride and silver cloride in the same solution be a problem when trying to recover the silver?


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## butcher (Jun 16, 2014)

Magnesium cloride is soluble in water, silver chloride is insoluble, they shouldn't be in solution together.


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## Lou (Jun 16, 2014)

If the MgO is dead burnt, it won't be too acid soluble. 


Cryolite/carbonate/borax; flux it.


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## rickbb (Jun 16, 2014)

Thanks Lou. As soon as I can get the glass pulvervised to powder I'll give it a go. Looking like I'm going to have to make a ball mill.


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## Ollie1016 (Jun 20, 2014)

rickbb said:


> Thanks Lou. As soon as I can get the glass pulvervised to powder I'll give it a go. Looking like I'm going to have to make a ball mill.



If its a small amount you might get away with a mortar and pestle? Harbour freight sell a good 'rock tumbler' / ball mill. I think its about $50.


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## rickbb (Jun 20, 2014)

Ollie1016 said:


> rickbb said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Lou. As soon as I can get the glass pulverized to powder I'll give it a go. Looking like I'm going to have to make a ball mill.
> ...



Well I'm trying a 42" glass panel from an old plasma display, fills about a 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket. I was using a 10 lb sledge hammer in the bucket like a mortar and pestle, it was too much work for too little return.  

And if there actually is silver in there that we all keep hearing about, I have 100 more displays to process. So I'll need at least one the size of a 5 gallon bucket, which is what I'm assembling components for now.

And if there is not any silver, hey, I'll have a ball mill. Bonus! :lol:


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## g_axelsson (Dec 13, 2014)

Just to connect things, here is the finished results from the silver recovery.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=21517

Göran


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