Non-Chemical Electro stripping question?

[wop1969]

Here is my cell after stripping about 30 items.
I was wondering what the red stuff on the lead chunk is?
and their is allot of floating gold foild instead of black stuff on the bottom, is that normal?

Also, is it bad to strip gold off parts that are mad of brass?

 

[goldsilverpro]

The sulfuric cell will strip gold from brass.

Nothing looks normal to me.

How strong is the sulfuric? It looks to me like the sulfuric is too weak. It looks like you're dissolving the copper base, plating out copper (red material), and undermining the gold plating, which is flaking off. Did you use battery acid without evaporating it to strengthen it?

 

[wop1969]

I just poured it into the cell straight from the box I got it in. I bought it from the auto store, it is the stuff for refilling bateries.

 

[goldsilverpro]

From the way it looked, I suspected that was what you had done. The battery acid is about 35-40% sulfuric. You need about 90% sulfuric. There are many posts on the forum that tell how to evaporate battery acid to make it stronger, so that it can be used for the sulfuric cell. Most are written by Lazersteve. Unless you evaporate it, it is worthless for that application. Look before you leap.

 

[lazersteve]

Here's the link:

Concentrating Battery Acid

Steve

 

[wop1969]

Thanks

 

[wop1969]

Take 100 ml of battery acid and place in a heat resistant container, Pyrex or equivalent and heat on a hot plate or equivalent heat source.

On the other post linked above this is stated, I have a pyrex dish but it says not for stovetop or oven use and microwave safe, any idea if it would be safe to use for this process?

I thought all pyrex was heat tollerant?

 

[qst42know]

Pyrex kitchen glass is not suitable for direct heating. The Visions cook ware is good for heat but doesn't pour worth a darn, even though some have a spout.

Glass coffee pots can work well enough. Select ones with a large flat bottom and the handle attached high on the pot as some plastic handles will melt when close to the hotplate. They can be had at any thrift store for $1 or less. Just look them over real well for scratches or signs of wear.

 

[wop1969]

Thanks qst42know.
I like the coffe pot route since they pour real nice.

I dont know why I dont think thrift store more often as my wife drags me to them all the time :roll: