Jetpacksalvadori
New member
A little advise & direction needed please!
Day 1
I have built my first gold de-plating cell using sulphuric acid, lead (cathode) & copper (Anode), the system is running at 12VDC and 5 AMPS.
As a beginner I was quite deflated about the initial switch on as nothing appeared to happen (watched it for 30mins). Deduced that the dish is to wide and moved the copper basket closer to the cathode and bingo a reaction started.
I only had a single item in tray for the first few tests and this appeared to go OK, the second test I added a few items to the basket and this is when I noticed that the cathode was becoming covered in copper and the acid had a blue tinge to it (assuming copper in solution here) the ends of the copper on the cathode are covered in black gold and it is de-plating the material.
The copper basket was dissolved at the leading edge facing the cathode and all items fell into the acid, damn fished out with tweezers. Stopped process and thought through.
Day 2
The basket as you will see from the photos and video had an open front, decided to try a closed basket which did not go well as it was dissolved in about 20mins again at the leading edge.
Reverted to an open basket but reduced the size of the leading edge lip as this only prevents items from falling out. Again observed that copper was building on the cathode with gold at the tips.
Disposed of the basket and connected the anode direct to a long item and held it in the acid about two inches from the cathode and it de-plated the submersed end with no copper on the cathode (I am scrapping the cathode clean each test).
Wash water is also filled with copper particals
Switched off and put basket(s) in a bucket of water, best to post for advice before proceeding further.
Questions
PICS & VID attached.
Day 1
I have built my first gold de-plating cell using sulphuric acid, lead (cathode) & copper (Anode), the system is running at 12VDC and 5 AMPS.
As a beginner I was quite deflated about the initial switch on as nothing appeared to happen (watched it for 30mins). Deduced that the dish is to wide and moved the copper basket closer to the cathode and bingo a reaction started.
I only had a single item in tray for the first few tests and this appeared to go OK, the second test I added a few items to the basket and this is when I noticed that the cathode was becoming covered in copper and the acid had a blue tinge to it (assuming copper in solution here) the ends of the copper on the cathode are covered in black gold and it is de-plating the material.
The copper basket was dissolved at the leading edge facing the cathode and all items fell into the acid, damn fished out with tweezers. Stopped process and thought through.
Day 2
The basket as you will see from the photos and video had an open front, decided to try a closed basket which did not go well as it was dissolved in about 20mins again at the leading edge.
Reverted to an open basket but reduced the size of the leading edge lip as this only prevents items from falling out. Again observed that copper was building on the cathode with gold at the tips.
Disposed of the basket and connected the anode direct to a long item and held it in the acid about two inches from the cathode and it de-plated the submersed end with no copper on the cathode (I am scrapping the cathode clean each test).
Wash water is also filled with copper particals
Switched off and put basket(s) in a bucket of water, best to post for advice before proceeding further.
Questions
- Is the distance between the basket and cathode of major import if the copper is being dissolved?
- The items in the basket are only de-plating on the exposed sides and not the side where it is touching the copper basket, should this happen?
- How do I stop the basket from disintegrating?
- I have also noted that I have some small gold flakes floating on the surface of the acid, is this de-plated or has the basemetal underneath been dissolved and the gold floated off?
- Why do some items in the basket not react?
PICS & VID attached.
