Non-Chemical Electrolysis method - help needed

[carasoph]

Hiya all,

After my son was born, I left my dreams (and scraps) of using chemicals to refine the gold from my scrap....now I'm looking for a safer way to do it!

After reading more and more about the Electrolysis process, I discovered the I'm more confused then I was before-hand...
low current, HCL, NaOH, anode, cathode.... :wink:

Is there a SIMPLE way (even if it would take more time) and SAFER way to do it?

Among the tests I've done so far is this one:

a 65W laptop charger for my power supply.
Copper Anode.
Copper+Nickel Cathodes (for copper/Nickel/Iron removal).
Tap water with Sodium bicarbonate for better conduction.
1/2 liter pitcher that holds everything together.

the results are: (after about 90 minutes of work)
Nickel cathode gathered the iron as expected
Copper cathode gathered VERY little copper in the form of copper oxides.
Copper Anode just turned BLACK.
and the water turned bluish (indicating copper salts residence)

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG ?!?

P.S. - I was testing on 5 computer card's fingers.

 

[Platdigger]

Check out Jims latest cell....
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=4070&highlight=

Generally when using a cell you need an electrical conection to what you are deplating.
Not sure how you would do this with card fingers.
Randy

 

[carasoph]

Hiya plat,

WoW... super fast reply... thanks.

I followed the link but I saw no info that would help me...again - the usage of chemicals is RESTRICTED in my house by wifey...

As for the last comment - That is the EXACT same thing I was thinking about - I got to have a connection to the de-plated item...

Well - it took 8 hours to work just to de-plate 3-5 finger bars.... I think its not worth the effort...

 

[Platdigger]

Does your wife have indoor plants that she fertilizes?

Potassium nitrate.....is a fertilizer.....or, you could use sodium nitrate, also a fertilizer.

He uses no acids in this cell.

Jim has his sitting on the window sill.
Randy

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I do have the cell sitting on my kitchen window. I process 2 oz of pins and ground up foils at a time. I use a 5.v cell phone charger. .35 amp. I meaused the voltage from cell to cell 6.1 volts and .23 amp.

I do not watch it. Except when I happen to be in the area to see if it needs water.

It is a tiny cell that is an experiment, I never got enough scrap to take it beyound that.

I have no doubt a 10 amp, 12V charger and concentrated electrolyte could kick it up. But I also think that it would off gas if put on high like that.

As I use it it leaches the copper and other metals leaves the gold as hollow tubes from pins and little flakes from the foil powder.

I use kno3, but you could use CuSO4, for pins that are on copper.

Jim

 

[jamthe3]

Well, I plan on watching !! I posted some pics of electronic stuff I was given at a jobsite under "Phone Jacks." Harold was nice enough to explain to me how to upload them, although I'm not much of a photographer.

Are these this the kind of things you get on Ebay and use in your cell James ??

 

[Oz]

Skip buying computer parts on EBay unless you are just having fun with a hobby and do not mind losing money.

Go to your local computer repair shops and ask for their trash parts, most are glad to see the material not go into the landfill creating toxins. Speaking of which make sure you do not.

I get dead computers and boards by the truck load for free whenever I care to take them. It is a low profit enterprise running computer parts small scale but it is fun and educational.