Electrochemistry Help identifying gold electroplating solution

[neilt6]

I was given a very old bottle of GOLD-COTE Electroplating Solution by my employer, and I'm hoping to reclaim the gold in it somehow. However, I've been unable to find any information on this product that would help me identify what type if solution it is. The liquid has a dark blue/green color and a very faint odor. I haven't checked the pH yet. Here is a picture of the bottle:

 

[Smack]

Looks like it may have been opened so no telling what is in it for sure. You should perform a stannous chloride test on it to tell if it even has hold in it at all.

 

[necromancer]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

 

[goldsilverpro]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

On that link, it's on page 242. According to that, it's a non-cyanide gold chloride solution. However, the color of neilt6's solution is blue. It may be a copper solution that was stored in the wrong bottle by the user. I did find this old MSDS which has a potassium ferrocyanide base.
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/safety_health/msds/documents/GoldElectrolyte.pdf

I'm thinking that the gold compound that was used in the old ferrocyanide gold baths was gold chloride. If the pH is on the acid side, less than 7, I assume that it could be tested with stannous chloride, although I may be wrong.

In other words, I have no idea what you have.

 

[neilt6]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

On that link, it's on page 242. According to that, it's a non-cyanide gold chloride solution. However, the color of neilt6's solution is blue. It may be a copper solution that was stored in the wrong bottle by the user. I did find this old MSDS which has a potassium ferrocyanide base.
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/safety_health/msds/documents/GoldElectrolyte.pdf

I'm thinking that the gold compound that was used in the old ferrocyanide gold baths was gold chloride. If the pH is on the acid side, less than 7, I assume that it could be tested with stannous chloride, although I may be wrong.

In other words, I have no idea what you have.

Hmm... Right bottle, wrong color... My boss was quite sure that it was gold plating solution, but since he used to do PCB manufacturing I guess it's possible he had a copper solution as well at some point. I'll have to acquire some stannous chloride and test it. Thanks for the PDF!

 

[necromancer]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

On that link, it's on page 242. According to that, it's a non-cyanide gold chloride solution. However, the color of neilt6's solution is blue. It may be a copper solution that was stored in the wrong bottle by the user. I did find this old MSDS which has a potassium ferrocyanide base.
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/safety_health/msds/documents/GoldElectrolyte.pdf

I'm thinking that the gold compound that was used in the old ferrocyanide gold baths was gold chloride. If the pH is on the acid side, less than 7, I assume that it could be tested with stannous chloride, although I may be wrong.

In other words, I have no idea what you have.

Hmm... Right bottle, wrong color... My boss was quite sure that it was gold plating solution, but since he used to do PCB manufacturing I guess it's possible he had a copper solution as well at some point. I'll have to acquire some stannous chloride and test it. Thanks for the PDF!

2 grams of tin, 30ml hcl. heat till fizzing stops, cool to room temperature, filter if needed

 

[neilt6]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

On that link, it's on page 242. According to that, it's a non-cyanide gold chloride solution. However, the color of neilt6's solution is blue. It may be a copper solution that was stored in the wrong bottle by the user. I did find this old MSDS which has a potassium ferrocyanide base.
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/safety_health/msds/documents/GoldElectrolyte.pdf

I'm thinking that the gold compound that was used in the old ferrocyanide gold baths was gold chloride. If the pH is on the acid side, less than 7, I assume that it could be tested with stannous chloride, although I may be wrong.

In other words, I have no idea what you have.

Hmm... Right bottle, wrong color... My boss was quite sure that it was gold plating solution, but since he used to do PCB manufacturing I guess it's possible he had a copper solution as well at some point. I'll have to acquire some stannous chloride and test it. Thanks for the PDF!

2 grams of tin, 30ml hcl. heat till fizzing stops, cool to room temperature, filter if needed

Thanks, but after doing some more digging I'm pretty sure whatever's in here is not a gold solution. Besides, there's probably not enough gold in 12oz of solution to make extracting it worthwhile. Oh well.

 

[necromancer]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

On that link, it's on page 242. According to that, it's a non-cyanide gold chloride solution. However, the color of neilt6's solution is blue. It may be a copper solution that was stored in the wrong bottle by the user. I did find this old MSDS which has a potassium ferrocyanide base.
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/safety_health/msds/documents/GoldElectrolyte.pdf

I'm thinking that the gold compound that was used in the old ferrocyanide gold baths was gold chloride. If the pH is on the acid side, less than 7, I assume that it could be tested with stannous chloride, although I may be wrong.

In other words, I have no idea what you have.

Hmm... Right bottle, wrong color... My boss was quite sure that it was gold plating solution, but since he used to do PCB manufacturing I guess it's possible he had a copper solution as well at some point. I'll have to acquire some stannous chloride and test it. Thanks for the PDF!

2 grams of tin, 30ml hcl. heat till fizzing stops, cool to room temperature, filter if needed

Thanks, but after doing some more digging I'm pretty sure whatever's in here is not a gold solution. Besides, there's probably not enough gold in 12oz of solution to make extracting it worthwhile. Oh well.

question is:
how much gold is the right amount of gold to trow in the trash ?

 

[neilt6]

try this pdf, search it for 45.636

http://www.nomak.com/pdf/grobet_c2.pdf

says 24k gold, may contain cyanide (be careful)

On that link, it's on page 242. According to that, it's a non-cyanide gold chloride solution. However, the color of neilt6's solution is blue. It may be a copper solution that was stored in the wrong bottle by the user. I did find this old MSDS which has a potassium ferrocyanide base.
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/safety_health/msds/documents/GoldElectrolyte.pdf

I'm thinking that the gold compound that was used in the old ferrocyanide gold baths was gold chloride. If the pH is on the acid side, less than 7, I assume that it could be tested with stannous chloride, although I may be wrong.

In other words, I have no idea what you have.

Hmm... Right bottle, wrong color... My boss was quite sure that it was gold plating solution, but since he used to do PCB manufacturing I guess it's possible he had a copper solution as well at some point. I'll have to acquire some stannous chloride and test it. Thanks for the PDF!

2 grams of tin, 30ml hcl. heat till fizzing stops, cool to room temperature, filter if needed

Thanks, but after doing some more digging I'm pretty sure whatever's in here is not a gold solution. Besides, there's probably not enough gold in 12oz of solution to make extracting it worthwhile. Oh well.

question is:
how much gold is the right amount of gold to trow in the trash ?

Well, seeing as how brand new 16oz bottles of gold plating solution cost around $200, there's no way there would be $200 worth of gold in 16oz of solution. I have about 12oz, and even if it's legit, it's most certainly been used. Therefore, when you consider the fact that I don't have any of the chemicals/equipment to extract it, I just don't think it's worth it anymore.

 

[g_axelsson]

Is it not possible to just put a piece of copper in the bottle and let the gold cement onto it? Maybe that is what someone has done already and the gold just sits on the bottom as a black sludge. :mrgreen:

Could there be inhibitors added to the bath to stop cementing?

Göran

 

[goldsilverpro]

Is it not possible to just put a piece of copper in the bottle and let the gold cement onto it? Maybe that is what someone has done already and the gold just sits on the bottom as a black sludge. :mrgreen:

Göran

Possible