Hello everyone. I came accross some cheap scrap computer waste for refining. I know the content is low. But figure if I would start with 3 kilos. I need 3 grams of gold to break even. I figure the gold content is more then .1%. And I am ok if I lose money. My curiosity got to me and had to give it a shot. At least will learn something.To refine and see what I get out of it. But wondering if anyone has an idea what to expect. If I take it to a gold buyer for scanning can they determine the content. How does the scanning work. And what should I expect for refining cost. I am in Barrie Ontario. There is a place in Orilla but I didn't like there way of doing things. There is another in Brampton that I think I will use. But still waiting to hear back. Any advice would be appreciated.
Has anyone bought scrap gold that was melted computer components?
- Thread starter JoryWLU
- Start date
Help Support Gold Refining Forum:
Welcome to us.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
What can you expect?
Well if it is an Ebay, Alibaba or other online source you can expect nothing.
If you are lucky there is enough to see a few dusty grains in the bottom of the beaker.
1 gram per kilo is highly unlikely, if you get even a tenth of a gram consider yourself lucky.
So if you have not received it yet, cancel the order, the best scammers gild the brass, the rest don't even bother with that.
In the mean time read these links:
We ask our new members to do 3 things.
1. Read C.M. Hokes book on refining jewelers scrap, it gives an easy introduction to the most important chemistry regarding refining.
It is free here on the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=19798
2. Then read the safety section of the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/safety.47/
3. And then read about "Dealing with waste" in the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/dealing-with-waste.10539/
Suggested reading:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/the-library.101/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/when-in-doubt-cement-it-out.30236/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threa...le-read-this-before-you-post-about-ore.33333/
Forum rules is here.
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/
Hi Jory, Welcome.
You got 6.6 pounds of what type of computer scrap?
And you need 3 grams to break even.
Your title states melted computer components.
As Ygg states: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
If these are those melted bars of computer scrap, get a refund or make a door weight holder or put them on the shelf and don't waste any more time on them.
You got 6.6 pounds of what type of computer scrap?
And you need 3 grams to break even.
Your title states melted computer components.
As Ygg states: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
If these are those melted bars of computer scrap, get a refund or make a door weight holder or put them on the shelf and don't waste any more time on them.
Attachments
Thanks. For the info. I had it scanned. It is very low content but the said there is about 1 karat a bit under. 1 karat is 4.1% gold content if I am correct. So I figure it has to be 1% content for sure. But I don't know much about refining cost. The couple places I called what to refine it and give me cash after. I want to pay for the refining and keep whatever it yields. I have some jewelry to mix in.
Keep the jewelry apart, I suspect the guy who tested it failed to inform about thresholds and even was a bit kind to not let you down too much.
Known jewelry is totally different ballgame.
It will depend on calibration, if it is handheld and so on.
Was more like a toaster oven looking kinda thing. But one refinery said I should drill the bar and xfr that. How much of a sample do I need to drill.
Drill it out and have the shavings melted and tested.
A few holes half way through should do.
I'm not that versed in the testing.
If it's mainly comprised of copper, use in your stock pot. IF, there is any PM's in it you'll eventually recover it.
That way you can save all your clean copper for the scrapyard and get paid top dollar for it.
Doing g some research I like the qupeal method. Could see making small buttons, and then melt the buttons and pour a bigger piece.
Too high Copper content is not ideal for cupeling.
Cupels are most of the time used for fire assays and similar testing to assess the amount of PMs in ore and such bodies.
I is really not very good for production even though it can be done.
You will need an electric furnace with front opening so you can have good temperature control and access to oxygen.
Borax is not used for refining.
It is more a protective flux.
Smelting will refine/concentrate to a certain degree but is not considered actual refining.
The science behind proper fluxing is a study by itself.
Have you read and studied the links you were given?
reading provides more information than videos.
especially since you read in your native language, and not through a translator, like some others.
kurtak
Well-known member
That is because borax does not work to refine actual metals (like the bars you bought)
Borax is a flux used to slag off organic impurities (such as ash from incinerated plastics paper etc. etc.) or inorganics (such as silica/quartz from crushed ore etc. etc.) or "certain" metal oxides (not actual metal) in a smelting process
You can read about smelting here ---------
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/smelting.25592/
So borax will do NOTHING to separate the gold from the other metals in your metal bars
If your bars are primarily copper (like 90% or more copper) then the best method to part the gold from the copper is to run it in a copper parting cell
you can read about that here -------
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/electrolytic-copper-refining-cell.25596/
If the copper content in your bars is less then 90% you will have to remelt the bar & add more copper to get the copper content up over 90% to work properly in the copper cell (preferably 97 - 98 % copper)
The other (next best) option is to use it in what is called the stock pot as suggested here -------
But again it (the metal bars) need to be high in copper to start with --- the stock pot is a method to recover "small amounts" of precious metal from solutions from "other" refining process
Outside of the above there is no real good method to part (separate) the gold from your bars for more reasons then I can possibly explain right now
Kurt
And a book or an article often describes the invisible intermediate things. Heating, cooling, fizzing and much more.
