Any good ideas how to process computer scrap big scale

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It seems Biom is communicating on behalf of his friend. And he seems to have a reasonable amount of understanding of what is involved to bring this process forward. Let’s hope his friend is forthcoming with the information we need to help him.

From the equipment on site, which we have been given a lot of insight about thanks to photos by Biom, with little addition, I think the operation could become more efficient and quantify their own product before shipping to a refiner. All that is needed is a small fire assay setup to start. From there they could gravimetrically quantify the Gold content and Silver content and even the Palladium content in their copper based bullion before shipping. That’s a big deal.

All he would need is a good analytical balance and an assay kiln. The existing hood and scrubber would suffice for parting in the fire assay process, and when the time comes the hood could also process slimes. And the good news is even the fire assay process is documented here on the forum. One stop shopping for refinery setup!
 
May be wrong calculation he give me .but I have been there couple years ago he's got a lot of workers breking every thing apart .like I said before iam not big scale refiner and I don't refine scrap .but what I see in his place it's alot . I will give exact statement .whene he start electrolysis.
 
4metals said:
It seems Biom is communicating on behalf of his friend. And he seems to have a reasonable amount of understanding of what is involved to bring this process forward. Let’s hope his friend is forthcoming with the information we need to help him.

From the equipment on site, which we have been given a lot of insight about thanks to photos by Biom, with little addition, I think the operation could become more efficient and quantify their own product before shipping to a refiner. All that is needed is a small fire assay setup to start. From there they could gravimetrically quantify the Gold content and Silver content and even the Palladium content in their copper based bullion before shipping. That’s a big deal.

All he would need is a good analytical balance and an assay kiln. The existing hood and scrubber would suffice for parting in the fire assay process, and when the time comes the hood could also process slimes. And the good news is even the fire assay process is documented here on the forum. One stop shopping for refinery setup!
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Yes it can be done . but with big effort.and knowledge . Iam trying to help him to get it started .he spent a lot of money already .so there is no way back .but the get the electrlises.or sale the product as boulion to refiners
 
Biom said:
I will give exact statement .when he start electrolysis.
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We can help you figure out how big and how many cells he needs for his production before he goes to the manufacturer who may try to sell him the Eiffel tower! But we need to know some copper numbers. But we can lay it out in a way that he can get paid for his copper before he starts electrolysis and show him how to figure out how much value is in the copper so he does not get taken.

There are steps he can and should take to witness his material as he goes through the learning process. Seeing what he is going to do on a larger scale will be valuable information for him. And, believe it or not, all of the know how to witness the material being sent out to refine is also here on the forum!

It's all about how much information we are given about his process in order to help him.
 
4metals said:
We can help you figure out how big and how many cells he needs for his production before he goes to the manufacturer who may try to sell him the Eiffel tower! But we need to know some copper numbers. But we can lay it out in a way that he can get paid for his copper before he starts electrolysis and show him how to figure out how much value is in the copper so he does not get taken.

There are steps he can and should take to witness his material as he goes through the learning process. Seeing what he is going to do on a larger scale will be valuable information for him. And, believe it or not, all of the know how to witness the material being sent out to refine is also here on the forum!

It's all about how much information we are given about his process in order to help him.
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Great idea .yes you absolutely write . Iwill go to his place and see how I can fegure out by weight how much he's got exactly .iwill ask him what exactly the material he start with .last time he said about 2 tons already melted .and he took a simple got it analysis .
 
For a moment lets consider that he was stated to be selling to a refiner in Belgium by the container load. Isn't that like a 99% chance that he was selling to Umicore?

So I'm more curious why he stopped selling to them? Because I can imagine a scenario where I'm moving enough material to require Umicore to process it, but I can't imagine a scenario where I'm moving that amount AND build an operation that can effectively or responsibly process said material at a price competitive to what Umicore is processing it for.

Actually, I can, and it's only if you can process the material for it's tin content, and realize that value...but that's part of Umicore's take.

There is a huge jump in infrastructure when you go from trying to process material that has an intrinsic value of $30 / lb to one that has an intrinsic value of $3-30 / lb tied up in organics that are treated with brominated flame retardants and metals that don't necessarily play nicely together.
 
snoman701 said:
For a moment lets consider that he was stated to be selling to a refiner in Belgium by the container load. Isn't that like a 99% chance that he was selling to Umicore?

So I'm more curious why he stopped selling to them? Because I can imagine a scenario where I'm moving enough material to require Umicore to process it, but I can't imagine a scenario where I'm moving that amount AND build an operation that can effectively or responsibly process said material at a price competitive to what Umicore is processing it for.

Actually, I can, and it's only if you can process the material for it's tin content, and realize that value...but that's part of Umicore's take.

There is a huge jump in infrastructure when you go from trying to process material that has an intrinsic value of $30 / lb to one that has an intrinsic value of $3-30 / lb tied up in organics that are treated with brominated flame retardants and metals that don't necessarily play nicely together.
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My opinion he maid mistake .but there is no way going backwards .he said couple years ago that . Where he send he's scrap to Belgium not paying him enough . That's why he start this now we talking about electrlyesis. So he will purchase more equipment .
 
snoman701 said:
I can't imagine a scenario where I'm moving that amount AND build an operation that can effectively or responsibly process said material at a price competitive to what Umicore is processing it for.
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There is often a big difference between what a refiner is processing the material for and what yield they are paying on.

And tin is readily fluxed from a smelt to the point that I wouldn’t get worked up over a metal selling for $1.50 a pound. As the song says, you got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them.
 
4metals said:
There is often a big difference between what a refiner is processing the material for and what yield they are paying on.

And tin is readily fluxed from a smelt to the point that I wouldn’t get worked up over a metal selling for $1.50 a pound. As the song says, you got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them.
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I think it's good besness . But to much hedeck. Some time it's good to loose some for other besness not to do it your self . He was making a lot of money just shipping the stuff . Without refining
 
snoman701 said:
For a moment lets consider that he was stated to be selling to a refiner in Belgium by the container load. Isn't that like a 99% chance that he was selling to Umicore?

So I'm more curious why he stopped selling to them? Because I can imagine a scenario where I'm moving enough material to require Umicore to process it, but I can't imagine a scenario where I'm moving that amount AND build an operation that can effectively or responsibly process said material at a price competitive to what Umicore is processing it for.

Actually, I can, and it's only if you can process the material for it's tin content, and realize that value...but that's part of Umicore's take.

There is a huge jump in infrastructure when you go from trying to process material that has an intrinsic value of $30 / lb to one that has an intrinsic value of $3-30 / lb tied up in organics that are treated with brominated flame retardants and metals that don't necessarily play nicely together.
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Don't know wish company he use to sand he's stuff but it's in Belgium .he's got a big mix some gold palladium that's why he did the analyses. But still not easy to refine he need to spend more money . if he stop . he will loose money . there is no going back . he spend so much money so far .
 
I see a lot of raw energy cost involved. Energy is high right now. In some places limited supply.
 
Just a random thought but In Morocco the potential for solar power could be really good depending on exact location.
 
Shark said:
Just a random thought but In Morocco the potential for solar power could be really good depending on exact location.
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Casablanca may be . But a lot of farmers use it in south of Morocco more sun like Florida . But it's good idea
 
Biom said:
Casablanca may be . But a lot of farmers use it in south of Morocco more sun like Florida . But it's good idea
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Cost of living in Morocco start getting higher gas price very high compare to USA .electricity too
 
I am sorry but I don't currently have a lot of time to post much (which is why you haven't seen me much lately)

I am seeing a lot of talk here about investing in & setting up a copper cell - which is fine - BUT -----------

Isn't that kind of putting the cart before the horse ????

I mean this current operation is not even close to producing a product that can go to a copper cell

And from what I can see (& maybe I am wrong) it looks like it is going take a fair amount of more money invested in this operation just to produce a product that can go to a copper cell

Shouldn't we be focusing on getting the current operation up to what is needed to produce the product for a cell (which is going to require more money) before talking about setting up a cell --- which we currently have no product for

Kurt
 
kurtak said:
I am sorry but I don't currently have a lot of time to post much (which is why you haven't seen me much lately)

I am seeing a lot of talk here about investing in & setting up a copper cell - which is fine - BUT -----------

Isn't that kind of putting the cart before the horse ????

I mean this current operation is not even close to producing a product that can go to a copper cell

And from what I can see (& maybe I am wrong) it looks like it is going take a fair amount of more money invested in this operation just to produce a product that can go to a copper cell

Shouldn't we be focusing on getting the current operation up to what is needed to produce the product for a cell (which is going to require more money) before talking about setting up a cell --- which we currently have no product for

Kurt
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He does have about 2 tons of metal melted already it's in pictures and he's stock he need to go farwards .or sale the product as bars. .in way he shouldn't get starting the company till he's sure what to expect . He still a have a lot of scrap .
 
Biom said:
He does have about 2 tons of metal melted already it's in pictures and he's stock he need to go farwards .or sale the product as bars. .in way he shouldn't get starting the company till he's sure what to expect . He still a have a lot of scrap .
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The quality of his product is what Kurt is talking about. To run it in a copper cell it needs a higher copper content. Also it needs any other base metals reduced as much as possible. 4metals mentioned this but I think was waiting to see if the owner had more input instead of going into a broad general detail.
 
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kurtak said:
I mean this current operation is not even close to producing a product that can go to a copper cell
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Actually they are further along than they think. Once the “dirty” copper which was assayed and posted in the first post, all that is needed is to oxygen sparge the melt in the smaller furnace (which has no visible exhaust). This will allow them to oxidize the lead and tin into the slags and produce good anode materials.

Once they perfect the smelt process, they can come up with a figure of how many pounds a day of anode material they can produce daily in “full production”. Once they know that, they set up copper cells to refine that quantity of copper daily to keep up with the anode production.

The last step will be the slimes treatment to recover the values. They already have a small fume scrubbed aqua regia hood for that process. Routinely vacuuming up anode slimes to collect them will keep them supplied with small aqua regia refining lots. And before they are confident with the aqua regia process, keeping in mind this is a learn as they go process, they can melt and ship high value “slime bars” to an outside refiner. (This material is easily sampled from the melt and should be quantified before shipping)

While they are perfecting the copper anode cleaning up by smelting, they can ship the copper based bullion (sampled and assayed of course) to an outside refiner to keep the operating capital flowing.

So every phase from here on out they have the potential to ship assay-able bars to outside refiners until the point at which it is completely done in house.

The title of this thread is misleading in that they already have a significant investment in equipment in place and operating. Usually people posting these type questions haven’t delved in financially and are just looking for methods.
 

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