HCL/Bleech problems HELP!!

[ericrm]

do not try harder
read the forum until you understand what just happened... oh and welcome :mrgreen:

 

[ericrm]

also the pin from your cpu look complete maybe you didnt loss the gold on them , put them on the side for now ,who know maybe you will be lucky...

 

[Geo]

you didnt lose any of the gold that was there. put everything away in sturdy plastic containers until you know what you are doing. you did dissolve some gold on your material. when i first posted, you hadnt explained that you boiled the material in AP before you added Cl. all the gold that was there is still there, its just in a form you dont recognized any more.

 

[ericrm]

geo what can he do more?
the only thing he can do now,from my point of view, is incinerate(for maybe 2-3 grams of gold at best) ...
do you see a chemical option that i dont see? could be usufull for mysself if you have one :mrgreen:

 

[Geo]

most of the grey mass appears to be tin and/or lead. incinerate and hot hcl bath for the grey powder and finish AP for the rest. after incineration, the tin and lead can be dissolved in hot hcl.decant while hot as soon as everything settles. there will still be a fair amount of tin and lead so rinse well, several times with hot water. dissolve all the solids left and wait for everything to settle. draw off the clear solution leaving the white residue in the container.dilute and allow to settle again. lead will settle out as thin needle like crystals. draw off solution again and precipitate.

thats a real mess. thats what happens when you try to dissolve gold with tin and lead present.

 

[ericrm]

i have my reserve on what geo said and what the outcome will be, but for 2-3 g i must have been out of my mind to think it is not worth the try
i hope you will post the result

 

[g_axelsson]

confidentrf,

one of the mistakes you made was to put full boards with components on them into acid. The PCI-board on the picture have a lot of components. There is a lot about how to depopulate circuit boards, search the forum.

The principle in getting gold from e-scrap, ore or other objects is basically two stages. Stage one is to recover the gold, concentrating it by removing everything that isn't gold. The second stage is to refine it when you have it in a high enough concentration. What methods you chose to use in each stage is depending on what type of material, how much you have, what your situation is and some other factors.

To treat scrap with acid dissolves base metals which could be washed away, leaving the thin gold foils behind. This is stage one.
Incineration burns away plastic and carbon, leaving base metals and gold behind. This is stage one.
Panning for gold washes away lighter material until only gold and heavy black sand remains. This is stage one.
Removing contacts from circuit boards and pulling the pins is a recovery process, stage one.

After stage one, recovering the gold you have a gold concentrate that you can treat chemically with a couple of different methods. Some batches could be combined.

Dissolving the gold in HCl/Cl and after filtration dropping it out back as pure gold is stage 2.
Dissolving the gold in AR and after filtration dropping it out back as pure gold is stage 2.
Melting the gold and blowing chlorine gas through it to drive out the impurities is refining, stage 2.
Inquarting the gold with silver and dissolving silver in nitric acid is a refining stage.

Still, the types of impurities could affect the choice of method used in the refining stage, but you have much more freedom to choose if the recovery is done properly.

Don't feel too bad about the mess you made. It didn't sound like there were a lot of value to start with and the dose of reality that you got will make you realize that it isn't so easy to get that gold from computers, if it was then everyone would be doing it. Anyhow, we have a saying here, your gold is never lost, only misplaced. It won't go anywhere while you study.
On the forum you can learn how to do it and do it safely. If you just study it well, collect some scrap of one type and then concentrate on doing that good before testing the next process then you will master the art of gold refining.

I will give you one advice that the other failed to mention (I believe). Make some stannous chloride for testing gold in solution. You also need some gold chloride to see that your testing solution is working. Use that to test your liquids that you got. If the test is negative then you don't need to save the liquid, only save the solids that drops out of the liquid.
I don't think you have any gold in your solutions with that much base metals still left. The oxidizer is probably long gone and the HCl have continued to digest the base metals so any gold that cemented out is either very loose or already in the gray mud. Testing will tell you and you don't need to guess.

Right now I'm working my way through some batches I started two years ago and just left in the jars. It's taken more time that if I done it right at the start, but I've pulled 10 grams of gold from my old batches this far. :mrgreen:

Welcome to the forum, I hope you will stay and join us here. 8)

/Göran

 

[confidentrf]

Thanks guys,

That was the first batch I did i put less gold in it to do a test, the other 5 batches came out all the same with alot more of the mud...

Can i do the process just described by tourching all 6 batches at the same time or do you recommend doing them all seperate?

 

[Geo]

Thanks guys,

That was the first batch I did i put less gold in it to do a test, the other 5 batches came out all the same with alot more of the mud...

Can i do the process just described by tourching all 6 batches at the same time or do you recommend doing them all seperate?

do not do anything until you understand what you are doing. i was answering a hypothetical question from Eric, not giving advice. i already advised you to put everything away and study some more. if i walk you through this process, then that means i or someone else will have to walk you through the next. this is dangerous chemicals and the fumes just dont smell bad, it can kill you.

 

[Pantherlikher]

Ok... first hello and welcome to The site to learn everything and anything about "Collecting" and "refinning" Precicious Metals of all types.

I too did something like you have many years ago after buying someone's book and doing alittle ready... Off and running I was and did get something out of it.. 1 hellova great lesson.... LEARN MORE!

Put all liquid into a bucket and place where it can "SAFELY" evapotate down, not dry.
Put ALL solids into cantainers the way they are. Seperate if you want and cover.

Now... find and read Hoke's book start to finish. It's free here on the forum but you must look for it. I refuse to hand it to you. If you are serious about doing this, you will definately find it here. Learn the basics and you will learn what you did, and how to collect those PMs and then refine them the right way.

BS.
Searching for that hidden search box in the top right corner...

 

[bswartzwelder]

Reading and understanding Hoke's book is probably the smartest thing you could ever do. THE GOLD IS NOT IMPORTANT. Let me say that again. THE GOLD IS NOT IMPORTANT. What is important is that you learn how dangerous what you are about to attempt is. It is DEADLY. probably more deadly than playing with a loaded gun. The chemicals can injure you, your family, friends, and even neighbors who happen to live down wind from you. Safety cannot be overstressed. Start out with something simple like recovering fingers from circuit boards. When you have that process down, then and only then should you work your way up to the things that are more complex. I have been on the forum reading since October 2011. Just before that, I bought the Shor kit and was knowledgable enough (in my own mind) to be an expert at recovery and refining. Sadly, I lost all the gold that I started with at that time. Since then, I have been reading. Reading Hoke, reading the forum, reading just about anything I could find on gold recovery and refining. It has only been in the last month that I did my first batch of finger contacts.

So, to repeat what others have said, put everything away and start reading. Once you think you know what you are doing, stop and reread as much as you can about what you are about to do. It will be time well spent and just may save your life or the lives of others around you. From the time we were born, we all started out knowing nothing. Not a single person on this forum was born knowing anything about gold recovery or refining. Take the free advice and above all, be safe.

 

[confidentrf]

Reading and understanding Hoke's book is probably the smartest thing you could ever do. THE GOLD IS NOT IMPORTANT. Let me say that again. THE GOLD IS NOT IMPORTANT. What is important is that you learn how dangerous what you are about to attempt is. It is DEADLY. probably more deadly than playing with a loaded gun. The chemicals can injure you, your family, friends, and even neighbors who happen to live down wind from you. Safety cannot be overstressed. Start out with something simple like recovering fingers from circuit boards. When you have that process down, then and only then should you work your way up to the things that are more complex. I have been on the forum reading since October 2011. Just before that, I bought the Shor kit and was knowledgable enough (in my own mind) to be an expert at recovery and refining. Sadly, I lost all the gold that I started with at that time. Since then, I have been reading. Reading Hoke, reading the forum, reading just about anything I could find on gold recovery and refining. It has only been in the last month that I did my first batch of finger contacts.

So, to repeat what others have said, put everything away and start reading. Once you think you know what you are doing, stop and reread as much as you can about what you are about to do. It will be time well spent and just may save your life or the lives of others around you. From the time we were born, we all started out knowing nothing. Not a single person on this forum was born knowing anything about gold recovery or refining. Take the free advice and above all, be safe.

Ok and thanks guys i will start reading the book tonight.

 

[nickvc]

Reading and understanding Hoke's book is probably the smartest thing you could ever do. THE GOLD IS NOT IMPORTANT. Let me say that again. THE GOLD IS NOT IMPORTANT. What is important is that you learn how dangerous what you are about to attempt is. It is DEADLY. probably more deadly than playing with a loaded gun. The chemicals can injure you, your family, friends, and even neighbors who happen to live down wind from you. Safety cannot be overstressed. Start out with something simple like recovering fingers from circuit boards. When you have that process down, then and only then should you work your way up to the things that are more complex. I have been on the forum reading since October 2011. Just before that, I bought the Shor kit and was knowledgable enough (in my own mind) to be an expert at recovery and refining. Sadly, I lost all the gold that I started with at that time. Since then, I have been reading. Reading Hoke, reading the forum, reading just about anything I could find on gold recovery and refining. It has only been in the last month that I did my first batch of finger contacts.

So, to repeat what others have said, put everything away and start reading. Once you think you know what you are doing, stop and reread as much as you can about what you are about to do. It will be time well spent and just may save your life or the lives of others around you. From the time we were born, we all started out knowing nothing. Not a single person on this forum was born knowing anything about gold recovery or refining. Take the free advice and above all, be safe.

Ok and thanks guys i will start reading the book tonight.

Well done that's the best thing you could do. The guys are trying to help you and you will understand that as your knowledge increases which I'm afraid does take time and a lot of reading but the end result will be worth the effort when you hold that first gold button that you refined in your hand.
This is a huge subject which few if anyone fully understands and we all learn new things almost daily, that's the one beauty of the whole refining business, there's always someone who knows more about certain aspects of it than you do and the more you learn the more you realise you will never know it all.

 

[Madraykin]

I'm very new here and I'd just like to corroborate what these guys are saying. I'm using reverse plating and working with 98% concentrated sulfuric acid and that stuff scares me something fierce. I ran a small batch a couple weeks ago but messed something up somewhere along the way. Fortunately I did not have any sort of disaster, but I've been humbled enough to take many steps back and cozy up to Hoke until I get it. I'm now less concerned about the gold than I am about safety and handling these chemicals with more confidence and certainty. It took me a while to understand these guys really do want to help us newcomers, it's just a simple fact that the best way they can get us off to a great start is by pointing us to a book that goes into very, very great detail. Heed the warnings about the chemicals you're using. MSDS sheets aren't a bad thing to have close by. Know how to neutralize bases and acids and why it's best to wash first with lots of water BEFORE neutralizing. True, you may already know this, but I'm more likely repeating it for my own good.

 

[butcher]

The more we learn.
The more we learn how much more, we still need to learn.
:lol:

 

[confidentrf]

UPDATE!!!

Greetings all and happy New Year!
After reading Hokes book and doing a study, I have made it to one of the last steps in the process of refining gold with the AP process.
I corrected the errors that I made before my first post.

Refined steps made

1.pens/fingers went into warm AP bath
2. solution was strained off with coffee filters
3. pens/fingers were added to HCL/CL bath to dissolve gold
4. solution was again filtered off to yield a very yellow solution with a hint of green.
5. solution was then tested for gold content which was positive.

*!6. I added SMB to the solution which turned it the color of the pictures below… Any help from this point would be greatly appreciated.!*


NO gold formed even after solution tested positive

 

[resabed01]

UPDATE!!!

Greetings all and happy New Year!
After reading Hokes book and doing a study, I have made it to one of the last steps in the process of refining gold with the AP process.
I corrected the errors that I made before my first post.

Refined steps made

1.pens/fingers went into warm AP bath
2. solution was strained off with coffee filters
3. pens/fingers were added to HCL/CL bath to dissolve gold
4. solution was again filtered off to yield a very yellow solution with a hint of green.
5. solution was then tested for gold content which was positive.

*!6. I added SMB to the solution which turned it the color of the pictures below… Any help from this point would be greatly appreciated.!*

After dissolving the gold with HCL/CL and filtering you needed to heat the solution to liberate any excess chlorine from the solution. SMB won't drop gold if chlorine is still in solution. it's best to use very little bleach to start when dissolving gold and have some patience. That will keep the chlorine level in the solution low which make liberating it after easier.

So add a step...

4a. Heat solution to rid of excess chlorine

 

[confidentrf]

how long should the solution be heated for and at what temp?

should it be a slow boil or till vapers?

 

[gold4mike]

I usually apply heat for 30 to 60 minutes, just below boiling.

If you boil you lose a little gold each time a bubble pops at the surface.

 

[confidentrf]

after simmering for an hour... I Let the solution cool and it still fizzes when adding the SMB.

Placing back on heat for another .5 hr.