MIXED MATERIALS

I have depopulated a lot of boards with an air chisel recently. A quick method, but also very messy. I have separated all the larger pieces, but am left with a couple quart jars full of mixed material too small to separate. This includes plastics, parts of I/c chips, broken components, few small pieces of pins, pieces of green board. I can see a little bit of gold and know there's probably some I can't see. I'm sure there's silver in the mix also.
Is this material worth trying to process and how would be the best way to go about it?

Thanks for any help.

Could you post some pics of it please?

These had been outside for awhile and have a lot of organics mixed in which I will float out before I start on the electronic items. After taking the pictures, I did pick out some of the larger pieces.
I was thinking HCL, incinerate, separate magnetics and process same as I/c chips.

With that much organic material I would start with incinerating first of all.

Hard to see what's in that pile, but I could at least spot a couple of components with no precious metals in them.

Göran

First and foremost I would pull out everything you know has no PM material. This would include any and all of the aluminum capacitors. They are just going to use up acids and cause a big mess. Look at it this way, spend hours separating now or spend days correcting a mess which will most likely cost you values in the process.

I think Geo has done a lot of these, maybe he will chime in. Before actual processing, you will probably want a few pounds to justify the work. I have a bucket in the garage where I save material like this and someday I will process it. I pulled out all aluminum, all tantalum and anything I knew had no PMs. While sorting, I also pull any large MLCCs and put them aside. Its really a pain but grab you a magnifying glass and do just a little at a time. After a while, you will have most of it done.

My plan was to put it in AP with an air bubbler for a month, rinse very well, incinerate, poor mans AR. As I said though, until I decide what's best, just gonna collect material.

Mike

tomcat7475 said:

I have depopulated a lot of boards with an air chisel recently. A quick method, but also very messy. I have separated all the larger pieces, but am left with a couple quart jars full of mixed material too small to separate. This includes plastics, parts of I/c chips, broken components, few small pieces of pins, pieces of green board. I can see a little bit of gold and know there's probably some I can't see. I'm sure there's silver in the mix also.
Is this material worth trying to process and how would be the best way to go about it?

Thanks for any help.

Click to expand...

With the Mcll pieces. Use a magnet over the pile. Yes you will pull some pieces that are not mcll. However you can grab most of them without a magnifying glass and tweezers.