removing gold from copper?

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pazsion

Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
20
Why can't i just heat the gold plated copper to 500*f and let the gold drop off?

I'm pulling pins from cpus and also notice some copper wires and other assorted pins on mb, hd's etc. That should also contain gold.

copper melts or burns at a much higher temp..say 700*f

my inexperienced brain says this should be all that is needed, But i wanted to ask others who may be more experienced.. I also wondered if simply repeating the process, and scrapeing the copper off the top, would be a simple way to purifying the gold that was extracted?
 
they just alloy together, when you add a metal to another you change the melting temperature of the new formed alloy.
my inexperienced brain says this should be all that is needed, read up on the forum and you will then have a more experienced brain.
 
I did, i read everything available, most suggested dangerous chemicals and complicated processes, with ill results.. which is why i made a post asking about a simpler process

the copper should not alloy with the gold, and the proper heat should release the gold from the copper, this is what i'm suggesting. Why would this not work, specifically. And how can i make it work.. with just heat. I realize this isn't a perfect way to extract gold, but it should work somewhat.. being gold is heavier then copper, it will float to the surface in liquid form.

At a certain point if too much heat is used, you'd probably just atomize everything..

also, what is the new melting point of the typical 80/20 copper/gold alloys?

If you feel i missed a relevant post (searching did not help me) Please feel free to suggest a few threads.
 
What you are trying to do is a metal separation process called sweating.
But you must have a considerable difference in temperature between the two metals you are sweating.
 
yes, and there's only an estimated 20-40*F melting point diffrence between copper and gold of any kind...this may prove more difficult then i had originally thought.

Thank you, this term, sweating metal, will most likely help me fine tune things.

since gold should fall, do you think if i kept the top of the metal cooler then the bottom...That it may work a bit better?
 
You need to just forget about that idea. Just a waste of time and effort.
Take time and use the search function here on the forum and read, read, and read some more.
 
pazsion said:
I did, i read everything available, most suggested dangerous chemicals and complicated processes, with ill results.. which is why i made a post asking about a simpler process
Click to expand...
Accept this comment in the spirit in which it is offered.

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

the copper should not alloy with the gold, and the proper heat should release the gold from the copper, this is what i'm suggesting. Why would this not work, specifically. And how can i make it work.. with just heat. I realize this isn't a perfect way to extract gold, but it should work somewhat.. being gold is heavier then copper, it will float to the surface in liquid form.
Click to expand...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<Sigh>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Son, you need to do a lot more reading and a whole lot less thinking.

Here's some things for you to consider:

Gold and copper melt at very similar temperatures.
Gold and copper readily alloy.
Molten metals are strong solvents of other metals, so once one is molten, even if the other melts at a temperature even 1,000° higher, you can expect some of it to be dissolved by the molten one. All of it, given enough time, up to the point of saturation, or a temperature high enough to melt everything.
Metals, once alloyed, rarely can be separated by gravity. In other words, in spite of all the logic you want to throw at this, gold, which is about 2½ times heavier than copper, will not stratify once they are melted together. There are a few metals that will not remain in solution ---but that isn't of much use in refining aside from, maybe, separating gold from iron by using silver. That's not likely something you'll encounter.

Are you reading Hoke?

If not, why not?

If you persist in posting when you have no clue about the processes involved in refining, it won't take long for you to wear out your welcome here. We help anyone in need, but we fully expect them to do their part in gaining enough knowledge that they understand the processes, and how to make tests. That limits the questions they are asking, many of which should not be asked at all. All of that is in Hoke.

At a certain point if too much heat is used, you'd probably just atomize everything..
Click to expand...
Yes, that's true, although how you'd achieve the temperature required is a mystery to me.

Harold
 
If you feel i missed a relevant post (searching did not help me) Please feel free to suggest a few threads.
Click to expand...

Refiners know it can't be accomplished by the method you suggest so there won't be a thread to find. Perhaps some classes in physics might expand your understanding. Some web browsing for "atoms in a solid" or "atoms in an alloy" might help.
 
pazsion said:
I did, i read everything available, most suggested dangerous chemicals and complicated processes, with ill results..
Click to expand...


That's how rumors get started. :|
Where did you read about ill results?
 
Like Harold and Harry Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." If you have a great fear of working with chemicals, you are more apt to get hurt. If you fear chemicals, you should find a different hobby.

If you want success in this endeavor, it will require using dangerous chemicals. Occasionally, someone may sort of reinvent the wheel but, most often, it will end in failure. The best way is to use proven processes. There is adequate info on the forum to keep you and others safe while achieving success.
 
Gold plating can be dissolved by solder at a soldering irons temperature. As Harold say's the lead/tin solder molten becomes a solvent of gold, far below golds melting temperature.

Molten metals are strong solvents of other metals, so once one is molten, even if the other melts at a temperature even 1,000° higher, you can expect some of it to be dissolved by the molten one.
 
C'mon Richard,

You really don't that's a practical method, do you? A little gold, along with a little copper, alloyed with a bunch of Pb/Sn.
 
GSP, I think you misunderstood my intentions of the post, this was not a process.

I was trying to give an example of how metals can react when melted together, well in this case even soldering pins to a circuit board dissloves some gold.

edit to correct word.
 
Yeah, i had to do a 2nd take on the wording to understand what was going on myself.
 
goldsilverpro said:
What you want to do is impossible. Don't waste your time. Study the forum.
Click to expand...


o.0 its a process currently used to make and refine gold... I just didn't know the exact terminology. Nothing is impossible!

"hoke" returned much more relevant results, one of which was my post. Which shows that there is little specific data under this title and wording. So i hope it helps other people who come here, learn quicker and get the info they are seeking, without the flaming and time consuming dead end searchs and reading of indirect and misdirected posts.

Thank you paladium, I will read these links you have provided in your siggy, which i learned was what you were referring to after searching "hoke". I probably would have already known of this person, if he hadn't been edited out of our history books?? :?

It wasn't my intention to ruffle feathers, Just get a heading somewhere. And some re-direction where otherwise i was just going in circles and reading stuff that didn't apply to what i was seeking. So i was learning nothing i didn't already know about.

I came here to learn. And also to prevent any round abouts (forums / threads that simply stated, everything is here in this forum, go read it. Instead of provideing the more specific info in the thread posted.) If i had become knowledgeable from reading those, i would not have posted a new thread asking for more info about my chosen method of extraction.

I will try sweating first, before i go wasteing money on more expensive trial and error, with hazardous chemicals. Which would not only hurt or kill me, but also my family and the surrounding area. Heat i can isolate, insulate, and control, much better then corrosive vapors I can not see, or seal...some of which need speacial materials and equipment to do so safely.

And even then its not fool proof and from what i've read in the forum, several times, over several posts, could completely destroy both the copper and the gold to the point where "none exist anymore". Which would have made it a complete waste of time, money, and the material used. :|
 
pazsion:

You could always try it with the solder on a piece of wire that had been soldered properly,
or see if you can remove all the solder from a copper pipe that had been sweated.

Practice with copper and lead first so you don't risk losing your gold. Copper and lead have a greater melting temp difference and should be easier to work with.

As stated above, (by some of the wisest and most knowledgeable of this forum) I think you will find this is next to impossible, and any gold that you did remove would be an alloy of two or more metals, and would need further refining ( with chemicals) anyway.

Just a little challenge for you: When you can remove ALL the solder from a piece of copper pipe or wire with this method, I will eat crow.

Ray

PS:
Welcome to the GRF
 
pazsion,
Please do not get the wrong Idea, everyone here wants to help you succeed, most answers are not just directed at you, but also to help all who read the forum. we are very quick to keep the information on this forum as accurate as we possibly can, nothing against you or your idea.

If only refining metals was that easy just heat and control temperature to purify them or remove one metal from all the others.

Actually refining is easy, and safe, when done properly.

Removing most of the lead from a copper pipe solder joint would be fairly easy. Just heat and use acid flux and a brush to brush it off then some sand paper.

Separating copper and gold would not prove so easy with heat. Otherwise we could just change karat with heat, some copper may oxidize but not much at all and it would just be a waste of energy and fuel to try, adding a flux recipe can help but still not much copper would be removed by oxidation, the alloyed metals do not have the same melting temperatures as the metals used to make the alloy.
I believe that karate gold will have a different melting temperature than pure gold, and I suspect different karats, or alloys (yellow, rose, white) would have differing melting points although I suspect possibly a subtle difference, maybe someone with more experience in the jewelry trade will confirm or tell me I am wrong.

I believe you will find it easier to make an alloy with two metals using heat than trying to separate an alloy into its individual metals.

No harm done by experimenting with your Idea, that how Edison made the light we still use today, now how many times did Edison say well that experiment did not work, that *%#@% wire just burnt up, till he thought of getting rid of the air? And how many thing did he prove to himself just would never work?
 

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