Do the green pentium 3 chips contain any gold?

[golddigger2]

I have been experimenting with this type of chip, using a dilute nitric solution of 5:1. The pins deplate from the chips ok but then just turn black. I am assuming that the iron inside the pins is plating on to the outside. I then rinsed with HCL to try to remove the iron but it had no effect. I am un-sure if the gold plating is so thin that it plates off and cant be seen or if the iron is coating the pins and obstructing the gold. I know these pins are very low quality I am just wondering if they are worth processing.

 

[Oz]

If it is worth processing depends upon the value you place upon your time. I personally do not process electronics unless they come to me for free and I have nothing better to do with my time.

You should not be surprised if gold is cementing when you still have base metals undissolved.

 

[golddigger2]

thanks oz

 

[Harold_V]

I get the idea he's not dissolving the gold, Oz, so cementing (of gold) isn't the problem.

If you are working cold, I suggest you use applied heat. Drive the solution to a low boil, covered, so you don't lose the acid. I think you'll find it does much better. If you are experiencing deposits, I can't help but think that you need more nitric. You might also consider using it slightly more concentrated, perhaps as much as 50/50.

An alternate may be to incinerate and then process with HCl, which I would also recommend be used with added heat. Cold reactions are quite slow, and often don't display signs of where you are in the process. By heating, you can conclude when acid has been consumed, or when the material has been consumed.

Harold

 

[Oz]

Harold,

As usual you are right. Somehow I misread what was written and thought he was using AR (maybe I got used to too many doing so). Heat will defiantly help drive the reaction and saturation of metals are unlikely considering the low nitric concentration.

Your suggestion of 50/50 nitric is what I tend to use. I have however taken into consideration what GSP practices (which would be ideal in this case). Start with your water and add your nitric in increments as it reduces acid waste due to NOX gases and minimizes the nitric needing to be removed before your precipitation.

And as always if one wishes to switch acids to remove base metals an incineration is needed. Seems that has been said a few times but not often done.

Thank you for catching my error Harold.

 

[golddigger2]

thanks OZ and harold I heated the solution and the pins deplated in a few hours. After a wash in HCL i now have about 2-3 ounces of clean gold pins for further processing. I belive the best next step is to boil in hcl to dissolve the iron before going after the gold.

 

[Oz]

Sorry Harold, reading his last post and re-reading his first post he is using nitric without incineration then washing with HCl. In the most recent post he is going to boil in HCl after nitric w/o mention of incineration.

One must realize that even the slightest contamination of one acid with the other dissolves gold resulting in losses. Your saving grace may well be that you have not eliminated all the base metals yet oddly enough.

For anyone to help you here you need to be real clear as to what you have done step by step. I will be the first to admit that I have replied without paying as close of attention as I should have but in re-reading your first post there is the potential gold is in solution or cemented with the combination of both acids.

 

[Harold_V]

Sorry Harold, reading his last post and re-reading his first post he is using nitric without incineration then washing with HCl. In the most recent post he is going to boil in HCl after nitric w/o mention of incineration.

Yep! You're right, Oz, but if my assumption is correct, he still had nothing to worry about due to having exhausted the nitric. That may not have been the case, however. That is not to suggest he need not incinerate. You are 100% correct, and I missed that part completely. Any time a change is made from one acid to another, and dissolving of values is not intended, the only sure fire way to insure it doesn't happen is to incinerate. As Oz stated, that can not be stated enough.

Harold