getting the gold out of solution and other questions

[Rickthenewb]

Ok I am new at this but, I just graduated from college with a b.s. in chem and a friend of mine who owns a recycling center asked me if I wanted to maybe get into the recovery/refining business. So I have a few questions: If I dissolve gold connectors and processors in 3 parts HCL and 1 part HNO, how do I get the gold (and other precious metals) out. My second question is I have heard of reverse electroplating and was wondering if they maybe yields better results because I read it uses much more volatile and expensive chemicals. I am open to all comments and information. Thank you

 

[Barren Realms 007]

You will possibly want to search on removing base metals using HCL/peroxide, Sulfuric acid cell. Disolving gold in HCL/Clorox. Recovering gold from solutions using Sodium Metabisulfite.

Have paitence, there are a lot of people here to help you.

 

[dick b]

Download, and read Hoke! Then read more. It's all here on the forum.
dickb

http://tinyurl.com/mfnyhs
Hoke Book

 

[aflacglobal]

Start with the links in Lazersteve's and my sig line below.

 

[4metals]

If you're getting quantity of materials from a recycling center you have to be able to process your metals economically to be cost effective. Most big refiners remove the metallic portions off boards by incinerating and separate the ash, which has value, from the metallic portions, which have more value.

The metallic portions are melted with copper into what are commonly known as refiners bars, they are either sold to a copper refiner or refined in house. In house refining means you place these bars in a copper cell and make pure copper to re-use. The slimes are collected in a bag surrounding the anode and incinerated and refined either in aqua regia or by inquarting. The benefit of this method is you can process a varied material inflow the same way and use much less acid in the process. Plus you can scale up. When starting out the copper based bars can be sold to a copper refiner who pays you, quite well by the way, on assay of the bar. As you see the quantity of PM's involved then you can set up to process electrolytically in house.

It's good you're a chemist, analysis is everything, learn to fire assay. It will pay you back untold times in this business.

 

[Rickthenewb]

Thank you everyone for your input, I have a lot of reading to do and if I have any questions I thank you in advance.

 

[Anonymous]

4 metals,
The refiners bars do you know how much they have to weigh? What would the minimum load be?

Do you know if there is a lead/tin solder refiner bar?

thanks
jim

 

[4metals]

Refiner bars are usually 1000 oz molds because they get to damn heavy otherwise, most low grade refiners who accept these bars have a list of "deleterious" materials which they penalize you for by charging more. I've shipped more of these than I've processed and usually they were 10 to 15,000 oz per lot. I've done well with Metech in New England but I believe they shut that plant and are now only in California.

If you can only melt 1000 ounces at a time you will have to do a re-melt of whatever bars you send because they only want to assay once for a lot. To assay and settle individual lots will cost more and carry minimums per lot.

One guy I do work for gets high yield lead trim and other copper based hybrid scrap. We set up a copper plating cell (small, only 15 gallons) and melt the scrap into a copper anode, bag it and process the slimes. Copper is a great collector and you don't have to break the bank digesting the copper if you run a cell. Plus you get nice copper to re-use or sell.