- Joined
- Sep 28, 2021
- Messages
- 67
Hi guys, I've read many a posting over the previous few months on this topic and watched many a video on YouTube regarding getting precious metals from hard disk platters.
Now, I came into refining by accident. I purchase hard disks in bulk from companies where they are broken and are down for WEEE recycling. I originally intended to use the casings (and most the rest of the drive) in my furnace, which I use to smelt aluminium, and create stuff as a hobby (as it always starts?).
My original plan was to simply remove the steel plate, and throw the rest of the drive into my furnace, but it seems I would be doing myself out of precious metals without knowing it.
As I say, I looked at these with a bit of a different view, it seems that everyone is talking in the various posts about how to remove the precious metals by chemically breaking down the platters.
Why use chemicals so early on in the process? I mean, in my furnace, I get aluminium melting at around 660°C... All the other metals on the platter (cobalt, platinum etc) seem to have a melting point well over 1000°C.
If my "slag" is removed and kept, it technically should have a higher percentage of the other elements right, which can then (once I have enough), throw into an acid bath for further refining.
Has anyone else tried this method, because it seems quite obvious to me (as a new comer), but was unsure if there is any point is doing this? At the moment I have around 250 more platters waiting for this process to begin, so some insight from the more experienced would be greatly appreciated.
Now, I came into refining by accident. I purchase hard disks in bulk from companies where they are broken and are down for WEEE recycling. I originally intended to use the casings (and most the rest of the drive) in my furnace, which I use to smelt aluminium, and create stuff as a hobby (as it always starts?).
My original plan was to simply remove the steel plate, and throw the rest of the drive into my furnace, but it seems I would be doing myself out of precious metals without knowing it.
As I say, I looked at these with a bit of a different view, it seems that everyone is talking in the various posts about how to remove the precious metals by chemically breaking down the platters.
Why use chemicals so early on in the process? I mean, in my furnace, I get aluminium melting at around 660°C... All the other metals on the platter (cobalt, platinum etc) seem to have a melting point well over 1000°C.
If my "slag" is removed and kept, it technically should have a higher percentage of the other elements right, which can then (once I have enough), throw into an acid bath for further refining.
Has anyone else tried this method, because it seems quite obvious to me (as a new comer), but was unsure if there is any point is doing this? At the moment I have around 250 more platters waiting for this process to begin, so some insight from the more experienced would be greatly appreciated.