copper sulphate and the philosophers stone

[yazeed]

hey guys and gals,hows it going steve.so i recently embarked on this new copper sulphate road after wanted to try and alternative to nitric and AR on pcb.i had gold fingers and some contacts laying in a copper sulphate solution after seeing a post here a while back,their was a yellow material dropped at the bottom,after the fingers and contacts stripped to their copper cores,what do u guys think that yellow substance is and do u think id have other pm in solution.p.s liquid turned clear after reaction,id love u guys feedback on this coz im really searching for safer ways to refine,thanx

 

[butcher]

Is their a possibility you had Iron in solution?

 

[yazeed]

there is a small possibility of iron in solution,any idea what the yellow substance is,it resembles the look and appearance of mine sand

 

[Lino1406]

The only way I can immagine copper sulphate will act, is by oxidation.
Cuprous sulphate is grey

 

[g_axelsson]

Copper sulfate could attack the nickel layer between the gold and copper. But I wouldn't use it for recovering gold, some gold may be encased in cemented copper while the nickel is dissolving, trapping it under copper.

Well, the only way to test it is to treat the fingers with a traditional method after you treated it with copper sulfate to see if there is any gold left. If it's gone then you have already removed it in the first step.

As for the yellow residue, is there any tin or lead (solder) on the fingers? Maybe you are seeing lead sulphate.

/Göran

 

[yazeed]

their mite have been some solder,and their is a presence of gold in solution,that yellow residue/precipitate has since remained yellow at the bottom but turned the green of copper chloride on the top