ChemicalEngineer7
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2021
- Messages
- 6
Hi all,
I came across about a lb of some copper/gold buttons, about 5% gold (according to the previous owner). In hindsight I realize I should have just started with nitric and kept all chlorides out of the mix but hindsight is 20/20...
Here's what I have done:
HCL/3% peroxide was added to all the buttons with a fish bubbler. There was no immediate reaction, but over the course of 3 days the solution turned green to black. Over the weekend, there were white crystals forming on all the metal and the solution was jet black.
I was impatient, and poured off all the black solution, rinsed a few times with water, and precipitated some white solids. Then I filled up the beaker with small additions of nitric, and brown gas was released as the nitric ate the copper. After about a liter of nitric, all the copper has dissolved and the resulting solution is a teal color which tests positive with stannous. There is a white precipitate at the bottom as well.
My best guess is that I have copper nitrate (blue), gold chloride (yellow), copper (i) chloirde (white salt), and copper (ii) chloride (green).
I am not sure how to proceed. I know I screwed up by mixing nitric in after the HCl, but I am not sure of the best way to remedy my mess. Looking forward to all the bright minds on here coming up with a gameplan
I came across about a lb of some copper/gold buttons, about 5% gold (according to the previous owner). In hindsight I realize I should have just started with nitric and kept all chlorides out of the mix but hindsight is 20/20...
Here's what I have done:
HCL/3% peroxide was added to all the buttons with a fish bubbler. There was no immediate reaction, but over the course of 3 days the solution turned green to black. Over the weekend, there were white crystals forming on all the metal and the solution was jet black.
I was impatient, and poured off all the black solution, rinsed a few times with water, and precipitated some white solids. Then I filled up the beaker with small additions of nitric, and brown gas was released as the nitric ate the copper. After about a liter of nitric, all the copper has dissolved and the resulting solution is a teal color which tests positive with stannous. There is a white precipitate at the bottom as well.
My best guess is that I have copper nitrate (blue), gold chloride (yellow), copper (i) chloirde (white salt), and copper (ii) chloride (green).
I am not sure how to proceed. I know I screwed up by mixing nitric in after the HCl, but I am not sure of the best way to remedy my mess. Looking forward to all the bright minds on here coming up with a gameplan