Beryllium in waste refining liquids. Proper disposal.

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NobleMetalsRecovery

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Mar 6, 2007
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I have recently been recovering gold from pins that are plated. These are "springy" pins from circuit boards. My understanding is that when you find copper with "springy" qualities it probably contains beryllium.

After I have recovered the gold from my acid solution (I'm using Aqua Regia), I suspect that the waste liquid will contain beryllium in some form. Beryllium is so low on the periodic table that even aluminum will not displace it from an acid solution.

So, in dealing with the waste from refining gold plated pins that may have a copper/beryllium alloy can anyone provide some help on safely handling and disposing of the waste?
 
Beryllium is so low on the periodic table that even aluminum will not displace it from an acid solution.
The periodic table has little to do with the reactivity series of metals.

Magnesium will displace-precipitate Beryllium. So will calcium and sodium; not much gets past these hydroxides.
 
Noble Metals Recovery said:
I have recently been recovering gold from pins that are plated. These are "springy" pins from circuit boards. My understanding is that when you find copper with "springy" qualities it probably contains beryllium.

After I have recovered the gold from my acid solution (I'm using Aqua Regia), I suspect that the waste liquid will contain beryllium in some form. Beryllium is so low on the periodic table that even aluminum will not displace it from an acid solution.

So, in dealing with the waste from refining gold plated pins that may have a copper/beryllium alloy can anyone provide some help on safely handling and disposing of the waste?

Good to see you back!
 
Thank you. Nice to see the forum is doing fine, just ticking away.

I like the idea of the paid subscriptions.

Been busy designing, making, and selling rocket stoves for the past three years. A few weeks ago I purchased a dental cabinet with tools in it at the flea market. Found over an ounce of 18K in the cabinet. Got the gold bug back. So......

I recently recovered gold from plated pins. This is the first time I have had any success with pins. Always lost the gold when it was time to precipitate it. Hate to think of how much gold and chemicals and time I've lost with pins in the past. So I recently purchased the AR kit from Shor for $60.

I followed their instructions carefully, and for the first time recovered gold from pins with AR. Only difference I know of was, using their chemicals, and doing the step with the ammonia.

Not sure just why I've always had trouble getingt gold out of an AR solution with dissolved gold plated pins.
 
Scott

The Be in beryllium copper is only about 2%

Beryllium dissolves readily in non-oxidizing acids like HCl

however - it does not dissolve readily in an oxidizing acid like nitric but rather it forms a Be oxide (kind of like nitric does not dissolve tin but leaves you with stannic tin &/or the white tin paste)

So - I am not sure how AR (if you are taking your pins "directly" to AR) will effect the Be due to the combination of AR being HCl & nitric (but greater in HCl) --- in other words - I am "not sure" if the HCl will dissolve the Be & then precipitate it as BeO due to the nitric - or not

But if you treat the BeCu with nitric "first" the result should be - BeO - which should then go unaffected when you treat the foils with AR & then be filtered out when you filter the AuCl

The filter should be put in a plastic bag while still wet (you don't want it to dry out creating a dust that you end up breathing) & then you can dispose of it with your other solid waste

If you sinter the BeO into a "solid" chunk (with heat & pressure) it becomes a solid of BeO ceramic & is not considered a hazardous waste under federal law - whereas the dust is

Kurt
 
Here's my next plan.

Make a solution of copper sulfate. Put the pins in the solution. Place a carbon electrode in the pile of loose pins and put another electrode in the same container. I think it will plate out the copper leaving behind the gold for further refining.

If this does work, I wonder where the Be will end up, and in what form(s)?
 
Noble Metals Recovery said:
Not sure just why I've always had trouble getingt gold out of an AR solution with dissolved gold plated pins.

It would not have been a problem if to cemented the gold from the solution with copper (as a recovery process) instead of trying to precipitate it with chems --- & then refine the recovered gold as a refining process

I know that some members do not agree with me - but IMO cementing with copper to "recover" your gold from "dirty" solutions is the "only" way to go

Its cheap & provides full recovery of the gold "hassle free" - every time - giving you a product you can then refine

Kurt
 
Noble Metals Recovery said:
Here's my next plan.

Make a solution of copper sulfate. Put the pins in the solution. Place a carbon electrode in the pile of loose pins and put another electrode in the same container. I think it will plate out the copper leaving behind the gold for further refining.

If this does work, I wonder where the Be will end up, and in what form(s)?

Sounds like you are trying to complicate things

Stick to what works

Edit to add; - & it looks like I may have you confused with someone else as now I see you are Noble Metal Recovery --- not NobleMetalWorks - sorry about that

Kurt
 
I have always believed that for a refiner who see's all different types of material rather than a single consistent feedstock, the best answer is simplicity.

And dropping every solution with copper yields a finely divided easily processed PM concentrate which lends itself easily to further refining.

Kurt's method is probably one of the oldest tricks in the book, so old most have forgotten it. But it is a valuable tool for the refiners tool box.
 
Been busy designing, making, and selling rocket stoves for the past three years.

I am building one of these for my greenhouse. One question I cannot find answered on the internet if you don't mind. What is the critical distance between the top of the drum and the top of the refractory tower inside the drum for a 6" flue diameter? And what is the longest effective length of mass covered stovepipe between the drum and the riser?
 
Here's the link for a 100 page pdf. Should have all the info you need. You can also contact the authors.

The cover page says the text is NOT copyrighted, but the pictures are copyrighted.

https://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=1097048&part=2
 
The link doesn't open, it says must authenticate. If you think the plans are decent and had success with their formulas, I am willing to purchase it, just tell me who sells it. The thing is there are a good number of plans available and I know someone who bought a set and built a stove that didn't draft. So I guess I'm looking for a review of the source from someone who has had success, then I'll buy it. If you use this guy's plans and are confident enough to sell and install stoves, I'm comfortable with that endorsement.

Thanks
 
jason_recliner said:
Beryllium is so low on the periodic table that even aluminum will not displace it from an acid solution.
The periodic table has little to do with the reactivity series of metals.

Magnesium will displace-precipitate Beryllium. So will calcium and sodium; not much gets past these hydroxides.
Getting back to the discussion that started this thread...

Are you talking about reactivity of the metals or precipitate with hydroxide solutions or maybe both?

According to
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/group2/beryllium.html
the beryllium ions (from chloride or sulfate solutions for example) has an interesting chemistry. It dissolves both in acids and bases while forming a precipitate in neutral solutions. So adding sodium hydroxide and increasing the pH too much will dissolve beryllium ions again.

I haven't researched the oxide thoroughly yet but it is very possible that it will be inert and stay out of solution in both acidic and basic conditions. It is talked about oxides sintered above 800 C is inert but the fluffy stuff you get from aqueous solutions might differ.

Göran
 
Yes, both. My main point was displacement is not based on the periodic table but the reactivity series. Even if the position on the periodic table gives

If beryllium is dissolved in acid, then it follows that it's the reactivity series directing that after displacing all copper with iron, neutralising iron and more reactive, with the most reactive metals like sodium or calcium would also force out beryllium.
 
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