AR - I finally got the guts to do it

[koebeef]

Hi guys,

Its been a while but I finally got the guts to make a batch of AR (poor mans). I ran a batch of 10 lbs of CPU (5lbs p1 ceramic and 5 lbs of 486 and AMD 486). I was just wondering, how much SMB would be the right amount to drop the gold out of this mixture after I nutralize with urea and test with stannous?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[lazersteve]

Ryan,

Twice the weight of gold expected tops.

Estimate about 1 gram of gold for Pentium ceramics and 3 grams of gold for 486's per pound.

If you need more help finding something let me know.

Steve

 

[koebeef]

That much for the 486 even with the centers removed and put aside for reverse plating

 

[koebeef]

So lets say that is 20 grams of gold expected (or 18 to be safe) how much water do I mix this in or it is irrelevant?

 

[nicknitro]

Koebeef,

I believe the dilution with water is relative to the amount of gold in solution, as compared to the amount of water already in solution,ie. 35% HCl is 65% water, poor-mans AR is probably 55% water. I would imagine, after adding Urea in aqueous state, SMB in aqueous state, the amount of your solution would be more than adequate to drop the gold. You may want to check the PH of your solution, and add HCL to help keep the base metals in solution.

Steve, I don't doubt, you ever, but really? you get 3 grams per pound of 486 processors? I'm surprised you share these results. LOL
Do the 486 CPUs have steel pins?

P.S. Koebeef, there are quite a few post on here about issues with dropping the gold from HCL/Cl and AR solutions with these types of raw materials and using SMB. Did you try to eliminate base metals in any way? Incinerate? etc?


Good Luck,
Nick

 

[koebeef]

OK I have the black mud in my AR bucket, I neutralized with urea and precipitated with smb. When testing my solution with the stannous chloride test the spot on my paper towel dipped in the solution no longer turns black, it turns a light green.

Am I ready for the borax melt?

 

[koebeef]

its a mud, do i need to dry it out first?

 

[leavemealone]

No you need to clean the powder first.Start by adding distilled water and boiling.siphon off the excess and add clean muratic,and boil for several minutes,then siphon off the excess.Do that twice,If there is any discoloration wash again with clean acid until it ends perfectly clean with no color in it AT ALL!Then wash 3 times with water.I know it seems monotinous but I assure you,a few extra minutes now,can save you many hours later.After you have done these steps,...........then you can dry and melt with borax as steve shows.
Johnny

 

[teabone]

If it was me I would refine the "mud" again in aqua regia and then go thru the cleaning steps as outlined by
leavemealone. I think you would get a much purer product.

 

[leavemealone]

Very true teabone,but if I were going to redigest it I would do it in AC.Jack showed me a way to drop it almost immediately after its been disolved,and its just about as effective as AR but cheaper.I wish I had more experience with AR.Maybe this summer I'll run some leaching and try some more thio stuff.
Johnny

 

[koebeef]

Once all this is done, what is the key to drying the mud into a fine powder?

 

[leavemealone]

Steve's method is simple,place the powder in a beaker that has been cleaned EXTREMELY well.VERY slowly warm it up,the key to this is warming it up very slowly.The last few seconds before the remainder of the moisture has evaporated you can still gently tap the side of the beaker and get the powder moving,seperating its"hold" on the beaker.The next few seconds are critical,keep the powder moving while the remainder if the water evaporates.Its that easy.Personally I have never had tremendous victory doing it that way.I have 2 other methods,first and definitely the easiest,is just filter the powder into a(folded)funneled coffee filter,then slowly dry it on an electric skillet that I have.The other method is simply dry the powder inside of a beaker then use a butter knife to seperate the powder from the bottom and sides.Both methods are very succesful for me,but a lot of people sware by steves method.
Johnny

 

[lazersteve]

Johnny,

Harold deserves the credit for the method I use to dry my powder.

As you stated the key is to keep the beaker moving and prevent the powder from sitting on one place too long or else it will stick to the beaker. I usually swirl the beaker the entire time I'm heating except a pause here and there to let the heat build up in the beaker. Tapping the side of the beaker on your gloved hand helps get the gold moving and gathered together.

I'll do a video of this one soon as I perform the routine at least four times a week now a days. The more gold powder in the beaker the longer it takes to get every bit of water out.

After the gold is dry and moving freely around the beaker a few extra minutes of heating helps drive off any trapped acids from the gold.

Steve

 

[leavemealone]

HEY steves on.......now its really a party.Good afternoon....long day? We had a job back out so I got to stay home and help out on here.

Sorry Harold, you know I would've given you the credit if I knew.My priority was to make sure I didnt take the credit for it.
Ok gotta go check my stannous.
be right back.

 

[koebeef]

I did it! I got a 17 gram nugget of gold...cracked my first melting dish tho

 

[Oz]

First cracked melting dish, $15

First refined gold button, priceless!

 

[leavemealone]

LMAO @ Oz.
Congrats on the nugget koe.Do you have a picture of it?
Johnny

 

[leavemealone]

Absolutely its possible,I am surprised he didnt get more.My buyer pays $75 a pound for the 486's.I would love to see what he got if they all had been 486's!
Johnny