Dental Scrap Techniques

[Coastalwasteus]

Snoman,

I read the link and I can tell you that I am not equipped or want to be equipped to go that far with PGMs.

I will look into cementing the PGMs with a copper bar. Any thoughts on that?

All I really care about is getting rid of the majority of base metals and separating gold from PGMs. So pure gold and a separate mixed PGM bar is fine with me. Even if the PGM drop has some base metals.

You may already know the answer, but I want to lab test it and see it for myself. Will my returns be better if I drop Au and separately drop PGMs, vs just induction heating the low grade dental scrap.

I may not even continue once I see my results. But I will get these tests done to validate. It has always been on my mind.

Thank you

 

[anachronism]

Let's be blunt here.

Amazingly experienced PGM refiners even on this forum have DIED. Yes you read that correctly. Dead- no going back from that. An old friend of mine who is on this forum and is 70 laid it out hard and fast to me. He said "I deal in gold and silver and my friends who refined PGMs were all dead by 60."

Think about that long and hard when you suggest people are rambling.

All my PGMS- and I do quite a lot per year, go to specialised refineries, because to use the base language- I am going nowhere near that sh*t.

Take the advice or leave it that's your choice. There are ways to get PGMs out in metallic form and send them for further processing without messing with salts.

The idiots who do these in a home environment think they are clever. They are not.

 

[snoman701]

Thanks Snoman,

This is the kind of stuff that helps. Not trying to be hard on you, just so much to read, learn and work with others that I don't have time to go off subject..

Btw.. not a hobbiest. I appreciate your feedback on just selling to a refiner, but I would like to see the results for myself. I will do small lots and the numbers will tell me everything I need to know.

Thanks again


Dc

The thing about the reading is that if you try to focus on one aspect, you'll miss another that has the very real possibility of influencing the results.

Have you considered sending off a sample to someone like Lou who can tell you exactly what's there, without the danger of exposing yourself to the PGM's? The cost isn't that expensive in comparison to the time you'll invest.

 

[Coastalwasteus]

Anachronism,

No debate on your post. I have already posted that I will be cementing the PGMs in metallic form. Even if I changed my hood at the office to accommodate refining the PGMs, I just don't need the PGMs pure and don't need the additional safety issues.

I agreed with all that have posted the safety issues with PGMs, there has been no debate from me there. The earlier reference to rambling had nothing to do with PGMs, safety or refining.

It's all good.

Appreciate everyone's concern.

 

[nickvc]

Remember when you dissolve any PGMs with acids you produce salts so even the solutions are toxic even if you cement so bear that in mind before processing any scrap and take appropriate safety measures, the real danger of platinosis is its cumulative and you won’t know you have a problem until you do :shock: :twisted:

 

[Dr. A]

I’m not refining yet by any means, but saving certain scrap to do so. I have not refined dental scrap, BUT I have turned in A LOT over the years as a dentist. Yellow dental scrap is desired, of course. But don’t underestimate the value of the PFM (porcelain fused to metal) scrap. I send mine to Garfield Refiners (5% processing fee, that’s it), they melt and assay the lot. The majority I turn in is PFM and I’m surprised at the Au and Pd values and there’s always a little Ag and Pt too.
There is high noble white metal that is minimum of 60% high noble metals with a minimum 40% Au. There is noble metal alloys which can be 40% of any high noble metal, usually quite a bit of Pd, which used to be very cheap 20+ years ago. Then there is base metal crowns which can have some precious metals (0%-40%), but are mostly Ni, Co, Cr, etc.
Anyways, until I get into refining, these are a great source for extra cash, or they send me bullion or coins in return.

Dr . A