Gold inside chips (black, flatpacks - not CPU)

[4metals]

The reason I said copper was this is the kind of material that is recovered from electrolytic copper refining in the slimes. If you wanted to make it an electrolytic silver proposal you would have to have upwards of 80% of the entire alloy as silver. Since the copper is at 60%, going the rest of the way up to the high 90's is easier than overcoming all of that copper with silver.

 

[nickvc]

Following 4metals approach would also allow the copper to be re used once the cell was working so the initial outlay of funds would be relatively small if any as copper is usually a large component in e scrap.

 

[Geo]

of coarse 4metals is correct and i would never argue against someone with so many more years of experience than me. it was just a thought that when processing chips and after the base metals have been removed (iron, copper), the remaining material containing a small amount of ash and silicon chips with the gold bonding wires could be melted together with silver and then the silver digested in nitric acid leaving nearly pure gold, like inquarting. of coarse its just a thought as i have never experimented and tried it myself. my thoughts being that copper content of quads and VGA,s is quite small to begin with.

 

[nickvc]

Geo I get your drift now and I can't see why it couldn't work with the items your thinking of and it would be cost effective because as you say the silver can be cemented and constantly re used, the bonus might be if there's any PGMs as they would be carried by the silver and could be recovered via a cell or by making silver chloride and then cementing them out. I know various items contain Pd but not sure which ones without looking them up as e scrap has never been a large part of my refining life up till now.

 

[chambersjr]

First, a big thanks to Patnor for this process. Also, thank you to all other members who've shared tips and insights on processing this material.

I've been saving N/S chips & Flatpacks in separate bins. On telecom type boards, I generally remove 1/2 or more of the quads and DIP chips. I do leave a few on the board so I can some return from my buyer. So cutting to the chase, I busted up one of the quads I have. This particular chip is one that is on a lot of boards I've had recently so I've removed many. My concern is when I busted the chip all I can see is copper wires and a large copper Heatsink that is imbedded. Now I'm concerned the gold content that could be recovered from this particular type will not be enough to cover all the value I've removed from the board had I sold fully populated.

Here's a few photos....

 

[g_axelsson]

What you see is the lead frame, the copper wires that leads from the legs up to the edge of the silicon die. The gold wires connects the lead frame to the die and are often only 2-3 mm long. You need a microscope or a strong lens to see the individual bond wires of gold.

Göran

 

[chambersjr]

What you see is the lead frame, the copper wires that leads from the legs up to the edge of the silicon die. The gold wires connects the lead frame to the die and are often only 2-3 mm long. You need a microscope or a strong lens to see the individual bond wires of gold.

Göran

Thanks Göran! I was hoping that would be the case. Is this amount of copper (minus the heat spreader) what we should expect to encounter in the avg black flatpack.

 

[g_axelsson]

Yes, I would say it is a quite ordinary IC in this case.

When packaging the chip they try to get the lead frame as close to the edge of the chip to minimize the amount of god. Limiting factors here is the mechanical stability in the lead frame, the closer to the chip it comes the thinner will the pins in the lead frame be and at a certain point it will warp and short circuit between the pins. So when the chip shrinks with newer technology the distance between chip and lead frame increases and the amount of gold goes up. :mrgreen:

Göran

 

[Buzz]

Limiting factors here is the mechanical stability in the lead frame

I've been wanting to know about this for quite a while now and not been able ascertain for sure.

When we talk about lead frames, do we pronounce the word "lead" as in the metal or as in "leading the way"?
I know it's a geeky question but it's just one of those things that's been driving me nuts!

Regards
Buzz

 

[Geo]

ive never found large pieces of lead in the ash. i have found copper and aluminum in quantities that have to be dealt with before any chemical processing can be done.

 

[eastky]

Buzz lead as in lead the way. Each pin on the package leads to a area on the chip inside the package. That's why it is called a lead package.

 

[g_axelsson]

I've never thought about the ambiguity in the name "lead frame" as I always pronounce it in my mind while writing... but as eastky said, it's leading the signals to the chip.

Even a lead free package could have a lead frame.... :mrgreen:

Göran

 

[Anonymous]

Goran I was always told that the best formula for a lead free package was C22H30N6O4S.

 

[g_axelsson]

Goran I was always told that the best formula for a lead free package was C22H30N6O4S.

With risk of being banned... ROTFL!

:lol:

Had to look it up, didn't know what it was first.... and anyone that says otherwise is a lier!

Göran

 

[Anonymous]

Hehe I doubt that well thought out situational humour is a problem mate :twisted:

 

[niteliteone]

Hehe I doubt that well thought out situational humor is a problem mate :twisted:

I don't know. Last year, I got slapped hard for properly using the term "Pen*s envy" to describe an appreciation over a gold bar Kadriver hand poured.

 

[Harold_V]

It's pretty simple. Keep conversation such that it isn't uncomfortable for proper women and children. If you wouldn't say it in front of your elderly grandmother, don't say it on this board. It serves no purpose aside from disclosing the fact that one may be unable to put two words together without profanity or vulgarity. It's all about trying to present a professional appearance on the board. If we allow it to degrade to the level of the common saloon, who do you think is going to spend their time here trying to help? Certainly not me.

Beyond that, respect the fact that we are all guests in the home of the owner of the board. Treat the board with due respect.

Harold

 

[chlaurite]

If you wouldn't say it in front of your elderly grandmother, don't say it on this board

I feel pretty frickin' confident that my gran (and 99% of the general population) would have no clue that "C22H30N6O4S" refers to a drug we so commonly get ads for in our spam folders. Even I had to look it up, and I take some pride in my knowledge of "recreational" (heh) pharmaceuticals. :lol:

You do, however, raise an interesting question I've often wondered about - Do we actually have any women present? I don't ask that to hit on anyone (happily "involved", TYVM), but of all the posts I've read on this board, I honestly do not think I have ever read one from a woman. From a quick search of the newbie threads, I see only 7 total women - Three deleted, two with a single post (to the newbie thread) and they never came back, and two with a halfway decent number of posts but who only visit every few months.

Not that that negates your official policies, Harold, but... Know your audience. :mrgreen:

 

[jimdoc]

Not that that negates your official policies, Harold, but... Know your audience. :mrgreen:

Some members could have someone reading over their shoulders from time to time, maybe even grandma.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

Not that that negates your official policies, Harold, but... Know your audience. :mrgreen:

Some members could have someone reading over their shoulders from time to time, maybe even grandma.

Jim

My grandma certainly didn't have a chemistry degree Jim. C22H30N6O4S would be a line of letters and numbers. Besides which, even if she knew what it was, she would have laughed her head off. Having a sense of humour didn't make her any less of a "proper woman" and as the wife of a preacher I'd suggest that she qualifies. She knew how to laugh and enjoy life.