# Recovering metal contacts from PC mainboards



## Marcel (Jun 4, 2012)

Well, there may be several ways to do it, here is how I recover the metal contacts from a PC mainboards.
They contain gold, silver and palladium. Some other PMs and non-PMs may also be involved but that remains to be seen.

Preparation:
If the motherboard has a lot of electrolytic capacitors, I remove them with pliers and throw them away.
I remove the CPU if present and all components like cables etc, that can be easy detachted from the board.

Main process:

*First step :*
I remove the large and heavy non-plastic components from top/component side with hot air.
These are mostly flatpacks, coils, transistors, large tantalum and large MLCCs (ceramic capacitors)





[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7e41GiCwI[/youtube]


Then I remove the plastic housings of the SIM sockets, PCI slots, CPU slots etc.
Here is a video on this:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M08A1Eexo4[/youtube]

*Second step:*
I put the mainboard on two bricks. Lay a piece of paper underneath, and heat the bottom/solder side gently with 350°C in circling movements. Do not overheat one spot, so the PCB wont start to burn. The trick is to knock on the heated areas to make the contacts fall down. I collected 30g of material from this board. 
My video on this one:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzpZKSEwefc[/youtube]
*
Third step:*
I remove the CPU socket by heating the bottom/solder side and let it fall down. Later I will show you, how to get the contacts out of the CPU socket. They contain PMs, too.

*Fouth step:*
Using some pliers, I remove all remaining larger components and those contacts that did not fall down.

*Fifth step:*
Turn the mainboard to component side and heat an area with small compoenents such as MLCCs or resistors. Use a scraper to scratch them down, while the solder is still hot. 
Slapping the mainboard against the bricks will not work well for such a large PCB. Collect the components and sort them later.

*Sixth step* (optional):
If there is a lot of solder on the board heat it, scratch the solder with a scraper and collect it.

Alternative: 
Use a Dremel and grind the solder. Collect the fine powder and melt it in later. 

*Final *
If all the components have been harvested, all solder has been removed, you have a very flat PCB board with little values left in them.


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## ericrm (Jun 4, 2012)

i must post an honest question
i never had the courage to do a motherboard like you did
how long does it take you?


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## mjgraham (Jun 4, 2012)

What I had tried on the PCI and memory was close, ripped the plastic off with a pair of pliers and ran a 3/8" chisel down them right next to the board, you do some times get some stray parts though. I have to say they fall out easier that I would have figured, may even be a little safer then my plan.


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## Marcel (Jun 4, 2012)

ericrm said:


> i must post an honest question
> i never had the courage to do a motherboard like you did
> how long does it take you?


Well this is real time video. It takes me between 15 and 20 minutes to strip one board until it is completly harvested.



mjgraham said:


> What I had tried on the PCI and memory was close, ripped the plastic off with a pair of pliers and ran a 3/8" chisel down them right next to the board, you do some times get some stray parts though. I have to say they fall out easier that I would have figured, may even be a little safer then my plan.



Chisel is ok (I had to look up this one) if you want to recover with minimal energy and minimals means. But you will not get the pins completly! Some part will stay stuck in the board. So I guess your yield is 10% lower. What you also leave out is the solder tin and the silver which concentrates at the soldering spots and at that end of the contact (sometimes they are silver plateted just there. So, it´s up to you and always a question of means you have at hand. Also the work with hot air requires some training. Most use too much heat, too hot and they are in a haste. Then you can burn your fingers, if you dont take care.
So your way of trimming is safer and cheaper but less effective.
Btw. for those who dont know, this is a chisel ;-)
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100301120061/analytical/images/thumb/b/b8/Chisel.jpg/208px-Chisel.jpg


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## mjgraham (Jun 4, 2012)

> Chisel is ok (I had to look up this one) if you want to recover with minimal energy and minimals means. But you will not get the pins completly! Some part will stay stuck in the board. So I guess your yield is 10% lower. What you also leave out is the solder tin and the silver which concentrates at the soldering spots and at that end of the contact (sometimes they are silver plateted just there. So, it´s up to you and always a question of means you have at hand. Also the work with hot air requires some training. Most use too much heat, too hot and they are in a haste. Then you can burn your fingers, if you dont take care.
> So your way of trimming is safer and cheaper but less effective.
> Btw. for those who dont know, this is a chisel ;-)
> http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100301120061/analytical/images/thumb/b/b8/Chisel.jpg/208px-Chisel.jpg


I do think I like your plan better, I didn't even try to shave off the thicker IDE connectors, just need a heat gun now. Plus most of the time they go flying all over the place.


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## Marcel (Jun 4, 2012)

I do think I like your plan better, I didn't even try to shave off the thicker IDE connectors, just need a heat gun now. Plus most of the time they go flying all over the place.[/quote]

If you have the choice, use a heatgun with:
[*]2 stage blower (this will avoid blowing small parts away, and also burning your PCB)
[*]temperature controller

I have something like this:
http://www.steinel.de/en/thermo_fuer_heimwerker/heissluftgeblaese/hl_2010_e_elektronic






If you maintain 350°C your PCb wont burn, no dangerous fumes etc. Always circle around the area you want to heat, never overheat one single spot. Heat "flows" within the PCB, no need to directly blow hot air onto one spot. I know I repeat myself, but this technique makes life much easier and healthier.
Also knock on the PCB to help the pins fall out.

Never heat electrolytic capacitors, they will blow. Many roumors about that, but it is not really so dangerours, but still. Just like a small firecracker. Also the fumes are not good, but as said it is not as dangerous as often said, if you dont blow the real big ones, like in a power supply.


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## DropYoTop (Jun 4, 2012)

Marcel said:


> I do think I like your plan better, I didn't even try to shave off the thicker IDE connectors, just need a heat gun now. Plus most of the time they go flying all over the place.



If you have the choice, use a heatgun with:
[*]2 stage blower (this will avoid blowing small parts away, and also burning your PCB)
[*]temperature controller

I have something like this:
http://www.steinel.de/en/thermo_fuer_heimwerker/heissluftgeblaese/hl_2010_e_elektronic





If you maintain 350°C your PCb wont burn, no dangerous fumes etc. Always circle around the area you want to heat, never overheat one single spot. Heat "flows" within the PCB, no need to directly blow hot air onto one spot. I know I repeat myself, but this technique makes life much easier and healthier.
Also knock on the PCB to help the pins fall out.

Never heat electrolytic capacitors, they will blow. Many roumors about that, but it is not really so dangerours, but still. Just like a small firecracker. Also the fumes are not good, but as said it is not as dangerous as often said, if you dont blow the real big ones, like in a power supply.[/quote] Just what i needed to know! i got two pci slots off and i had it on max and it smelled horrible i had a gas mask on but when i took it off the garage was full of smoke! How do you remove things off the pcb because i might be doing it wrong? :shock:


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## DropYoTop (Jun 4, 2012)

DropYoTop said:


> Marcel said:
> 
> 
> > I do think I like your plan better, I didn't even try to shave off the thicker IDE connectors, just need a heat gun now. Plus most of the time they go flying all over the place.
> ...


 Just what i needed to know! i got two pci slots off and i had it on max and it smelled horrible i had a gas mask on but when i took it off the garage was full of smoke! How do you remove things off the pcb because i might be doing it wrong? :shock:[/quote]
i did not see the videos at the top my bad my computer did not load the whole page on time and i responded lol


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## Oz (Jun 7, 2012)

Marcel said:


> It takes me between 15 and 20 minutes to strip one board until it is completly harvested.


15-20 minutes for how many dollars in gold per board? Three to four boards an hour mind you, what is your time worth?


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## Smack (Jun 7, 2012)

Don't know why you guys want the whole pin. PCI, ISA, AGP and EISA only have gold plate at the tip so take a pair of tin snips and cut the tips off and process those. Then you won't have to deal with any SN (Tin) in your solution. Send the rest of the stuff on the boards along with the boards to the refinery.


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## martyweil (Jun 7, 2012)

This is the best tutorial I've seen on this subject, Marcel. Excellent instructions. Thank you.

Marty


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## DropYoTop (Jun 8, 2012)

Smack said:


> Don't know why you guys want the whole pin. PCI, ISA, AGP and EISA only have gold plate at the tip so take a pair of tin snips and cut the tips off and process those. Then you won't have to deal with any SN (Tin) in your solution. Send the rest of the stuff on the boards along with the boards to the refinery.


True that is going to save me alot of time. Thanks! Also when you mean refinery do you mean the waste bin?


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## Smack (Jun 8, 2012)

A refinery that processes circuit boards.


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## [AuCl4]- (Jun 16, 2012)

Hello, great tutorial! I do almost exactly the same but I heat lightly and knock the board repeatedly and everything falls off. This way all the parts will be functional and you can reuse or sell them.

A word of caution here. I have worked in the IT/Electronics field for 10 years and lead, solder flux and PCB fumes are nothing to take lightly.

I noticed you were not wearing gloves. Lead can be absorbed through the skin on your hands. If you smoke, eat or something else that deals with hand to mouth or mucus membrane(nose), you also carry the risk of ingestion.

I hope you were working under a fume hood or soldering fan because flux fumes are dangerous. Also, if you heat a PCB, it will emit fumes and they are toxic. 

Also, using a dremel or grinder on a board is a very bad idea imho. You are in effect creating tiny particles of toxic substances that can get on your clothes, tools, and anything in the area. These toxins can easily be carried and deposited on anything you come in contact with........wife, friend,your kids favorite toy that they put in their mouth.

My rule of thumb is if you smell it, your doing the most important thing wrong............Safety First


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## besi (Oct 28, 2013)

hi I'm from Albania and I am trying to get gold from computer boards with royal water and i havent sucess . and i do not know where is the error I can not recovery gold from Aqua Regia it make out a white powder in the bottom of the glass and not the gold can you tell me where I was wrong please that became tiring month and i donr have sucess . and is there any way to get easy as golg from computers board can you tell the proces please .sory for my english [email protected]


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## butcher (Oct 28, 2013)

besi,
welcome to the forum, the question your asking is not easily answered, because there are way too many details, you can learn this but it takes time and work studying, what we do is an art and skill that takes a lot of understanding, to get this understanding you will need to study, similar to learning to be a mechanic, I cannot tell you how to trouble shoot the problems with engines, you would first need to understand how the engine runs, and learn much about mechanics before you could understand how to troubleshoot engine problems.

To learn the skill of recovery and refining precious metals, begin with Hokes book (found in the book section).

Read dealing with waste in the safety section and other topics in that section.

In the general chat section the guide to the forum will be very helpful as well as the forums search function.

So basically the answer to your question is to begin studying.

Double posting or asking the same question again will not get you a better answer, I did not delete your double post this time, but I will next time.


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## rickbb (Oct 28, 2013)

Besi, if there was an easy way, then everyone would be doing it. 

Much learning you need young Jedi.


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## Pantherlikher (Oct 28, 2013)

besi looks exactly like a post with exactly the same question and bad english as a few weeks ago. Posed twice same day asking same question in Royal Water.
Me thinks not wanting to learn...or spam... or something.

B.S.


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