AP process - Impact of low outdoor temp on reaction?

[Anonymous]

Question from a new refiner here...I will be attempting the AP process on some gold plated header pins. Have read through many many informative posts, seen the videos on Steve's site, as well as read through much of Hoke. Thanks for all of the great information.

My main question I have is on the impact of Ambient Temperatures on the reaction. I'd like to keep the reaction outdoors to mitigate any fume issue, but wondering how ambient night temps in the 30's will affect the reaction? My assumption is that lower ambient temps will slow the reaction? Anyone have experience with this?

Other option I considered was using a crockpot which would eliminate the concern, but I'd rather start simple and get more familiar with the process/chemicals/ reaction etc.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Chris

 

[Lou]

Cold temperatures will indeed slow the process, especially with acid peroxide but that probably isn't a bad thing since it will last longer. I think AP on fingers is a case where you want low active chlorine so it preferentially removes the copper rather than the gold.


Lou

I edited this:
My mistake!!! I seem to be reading AR for AP. My apologies for any confusion this caused. I thought he was using AR for dissolving foils while still attached to the copper.

 

[lazersteve]

Welcome to the forum,

The Acid Peroxide (Copper Chloride Etchant) reaction will slow with a decrease in temperature.

Heating with a crockpot is a good idea in the cold weather. Other options are bucket heaters and insulating blankets. If you decide to use electric heating sources, be sure to practice good safety measures.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I will try the crockpot method given our nightime temps.

And this is with the acid peroxide process, not AR.

Seems to be the correct process choice for gold pin headers that I have? Let me know if not please...and of course I'll keep reading...been lurking here for a week soaking up the knowledge before touching one drop of chemical. Thanks Steve for the videos!

 

[butcher]

old second hand coffee maker. or mug warmer for jars, heat lamps, heater fish tank.

 

[rainmaker]

As others have noted, lower amient temps will slow the process. I use a crockpot filled with sand, set on high and place the beaker on the sand to overcome the lower ambiant temps we experiance here in the Seattle area in the late fall and winter. Works quite well, heating the AP and creating a worm zone around the processing apperatis. Try to shield it from too high winds, but not conpletely enclose.

Rainmaker

 

[Kbow]

What about the rest of the processes after AP? Do I need to keep AuCl3 warm when adding SMB?

And what about when I make a button? Slow heat up and slow cool down to keep my crucible from cracking?

Or should we stick with something else until the Spring?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks Steve for all that you do! The cell that you brought us is awesome if I can get free enough to use it again!

Done anything with the lazer yet?
KBow

 

[lazersteve]

Keith,

The SMB reaction doesn't require any heat.

Watch the AP DVD I brought you, it demonstrates everything for the melting process.

I disassembled the entire laser down to it's component pieces. The main unit is a very weak laser, but has some great optics to it. I'm working on trying to find the proper pin out info to fire the unit off.

Steve

 

[Kbow]

Thanks Steve!

 

[Dog Biscuit]

I can't remember ever being advised to use heat with AP. All my references address using heat with HCl. :?:

 

[lazersteve]

As a generalized rule, heat helps acid reactions.

More specifically in his post he is concerned that the low outside temperatures will slow his AP reaction. In this situation external heating would serve merely to bring the reaction temperature back to the standard 'room temperature' (20-25C).

Steve

 

[butcher]

Heat makes acids stronger, and will also help acidic reaction act faster.
Example in cold outside temperature I would not see a reaction with SMB(and can have proper amount) (cold reaction may take much more time to react) instead of adding to much SMB if I heat solution I will see a reaction.

heated solutions holds more metals, cold solutions hold less metal salts.

sometimes I use heating to disolve a base metal and pour portion to another jar cooling to precipitate the metal, decant acid back to vessel heating metal to disolve more pour off some to cool & decant repeating till all metal dissolved to powder (adding little acid that is lost to metal salts), this way I use less acid to make my metals powders and easier to process.

edit added: high heat can also evaporate water(making acid stronger) or acid,Halide ect making it weaker, it helps to understand the acid and boiling points of your ingredients and there Azeotrope's.
also of your Oxidizing Agent used