Dark Green AR

[Labrek]

I disolved some scrap in AR, filtered it and added urea to neutralize the nitric. What I was left with was a very dark green liquid, and smb didn't seem to drop any of the gold. Is t cause there is too much copper?

 

[FrugalRefiner]

It's hard to say. Do you know there was gold in your solution? Did you test with stannous chloride to confirm this? Did you eliminate excess nitric acid? Was there any metal or sediment left at the bottom of your reaction vessel?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but with your brief description we don't know how much material you dissolved (or tried to dissolve), how much acid you used, whether any excess nitric was consumed (urea does not neutralize nitric acid).

Give us some more details and we'll try to help.

Dave

 

[Labrek]

I dissolved a couple p4 cpu's , some fingers I cut off pci cards (about 100 grams), and 22 grams gold filled 14k 1/20 necklace pieces. When the reaction was done and I waited a couple hours after, I filtered it twice using double coffee filters, then I was told to add urea mixed with warm water till there was no reaction to get rid off exess nitric. Then waited for the whole thing to cool off a bit and added about 2 grams of smb to try and precipitate the gold, but I wasent sure it was gonna work, my liquid was very dark green, but there were no particles that I could see, when I was pouring through the filter the stream was actually bright green and clear. I waited overnight before decanting the jar, there was a small amount of greying residue on the bottom, but that's it. I realise it wasent much scrap to dissolve, I was just trying it out really for my first time. I ordered some stannous chloride, but its not here yet, all I have is a testing kit with the different karat acids.I don't think there more nitric, but how would I check for that?

 

[srlaulis]

I disolved some scrap in AR, filtered it and added urea to neutralize the nitric. What I was left with was a very dark green liquid, and smb didn't seem to drop any of the gold. Is t cause there is too much copper?

:shock: :lol:

OK. First tell us what your scrap was. Provide a picture of said scrap, if you can. You stated you added urea, but how do you know how much you needed to add in order to get your solution to the proper ph level, in order to neutralize. You can't just throw any scrap into an AR solution, with the hopes of extracting pm's. There are steps you need to take to not create a mess...a mess that will prohibit you from acquiring said goal. We need more information to help you. HOWEVER! I am curious as to the fact that it would seem as though you haven't read Refining Precious Metal Wastes, by C.M. Hoke. If you had, I do not think you would have started a post like this. If you have not read it, and honestly I don't think you have, I would stop right here. Contain your solutions and come back to them after you have read her book. You will save all of us the time of helping you, considering she teaches all the basics needed to get you started. We like to help here; however, we like it when members help themselves...especially with something so simple as reading a book.

 

[srlaulis]

I dissolved a couple p4 cpu's , some fingers I cut off pci cards (about 100 grams), and 22 grams gold filled 14k 1/20 necklace pieces. When the reaction was done and I waited a couple hours after, I filtered it twice using double coffee filters, then I was told to add urea mixed with warm water till there was no reaction to get rid off exess nitric. Then waited for the whole thing to cool off a bit and added about 2 grams of smb to try and precipitate the gold, but I wasent sure it was gonna work, my liquid was very dark green, but there were no particles that I could see, when I was pouring through the filter the stream was actually bright green and clear. I waited overnight before decanting the jar, there was a small amount of greying residue on the bottom, but that's it. I realise it wasent much scrap to dissolve, I was just trying it out really for my first time. I ordered some stannous chloride, but its not here yet, all I have is a testing kit with the different karat acids.I don't think there more nitric, but how would I check for that?

OK. This reply came in as I was replying to your previous post. You need to stop what you are doing. Contain your solutions. Use the search box, on this forum, and search for the book I mentioned in my previous post. You are going about refining in the wrong way. You should read the book in it's ENTIRETY. Read the book a second time, only this time, do the familiarization exercises she instructs. This is sort of a forum expectation for members. If you have been reading through the different topics on this forum, I am sure you would have come across that by now. However, if not, I am now telling you. Download and read her book, do the exercises, read through the topics on this forum and study the data, consult the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) sheets for every chemical you will work with BEFORE you work with them. Then, if you need help, ask us. You need to do your homework first. Good luck. 8)

Steven

 

[Geo]

it would be hard to try and give you an answer and explain all the things you did wrong so i will give you some advice. look at the material left when you filtered the solution.you do still have it? is there any metal left, any metal? if there is, store it in a heavy plastic container with a lid. take the solution and put it into a glass container that will hold it and put a cap on it. place this in a plastic tub with a lid. store these two things until you study on what you did wrong and what it takes to fix it. know what your doing before you start a process.

were you being safe when you dissolved this metal. did you do it in the garage or basement or do you have lab. you did at least do it outside i hope.

 

[Pantherlikher]

I'm curious as to where you got your information to go about such a task as this. You just became a member here so you came in search of "Right" answers.
Welcome aboard and take all these answers with a grain of salt and DO IT!...
Doing it right the 1st time and every time is the main goal for us all...
B.S.
Good luck in your new adventure... The only riches that you should seek is knowledge...

 

[Labrek]

yes, I was outside, I used breathing equippement and a ptotective suit too, I kept the pieces, and there is no metal left on em really that I can see. I read a lot of stuff online about this, apparently not the rite stuff I guess, ive also been looking at a lot of instructional videos. I'm gonna go through the book you mentioned though. I also followed steps layed out in a pdf I got from the place who sold me the aqua regia chems. Anyways, I will get back when i'm done reading through the book.thx

 

[srlaulis]

yes, I was outside, I used breathing equippement and a ptotective suit too, I kept the pieces, and there is no metal left on em really that I can see. I read a lot of stuff online about this, apparently not the rite stuff I guess, ive also been looking at a lot of instructional videos. I'm gonna go through the book you mentioned though. I also followed steps layed out in a pdf I got from the place who sold me the aqua regia chems. Anyways, I will get back when i'm done reading through the book.thx

Labrek,

Good. Don't worry. You have not lost anything. Your valuables are still in the solutions. Store the solutions as Geo recommended. The information you need is in the book and on this forum. The book comes FIRST. Once you learn the basics from the book, then you want to read through the sections on this forum. Ms. Hoke doesn't talk of electronics scrap in her book; HOWEVER, the principles she teaches still apply. Instead of working with a ring, you will be working with a RAM stick or processor. You must tackle the basics first.

Steven