how do you get rid of iron?

[golddigger2]

Hi all

I have just processed a large batch of memory fingers in A/P which deplated all the gold nicely but after filtering, washing in HCL I am still finding there is a lot of iron and copper in with the gold. I know a magnet can be used to remove the iron but as my gold flakes are small they get caught up with the iron. Should I return everything to a pot and use nitric to remove the base metals or is there a way to target the iron for removal? In Hoke they say to spread the filings out thinly and then use a magnet but i think they are probably talking about seperating iron filings from slightly larger clippings of pm's

 

[g_axelsson]

My guess is that you have nickel, not iron, from the memory fingers. There should be no iron there but a thin layer of plated nickel is used between the copper and gold.

/Göran

 

[golddigger2]

Okay I may have used the wrong terminology. I meant memory sticks. The actual ram memory from the computers not the edge fingers.

 

[glorycloud]

So, are you saying you put the whole memory stick in the AP solution
and not just the gold fingers? No wonder that you may be having an issue.

If it was me I would filter the solution that you have and do the best you can
to pick out the stuff that the gold foils are clinging to. Washing them off with
a water spray bottle works pretty well. Using a strong magnet to seperate out
the magnetic items will also help.

What won't filter like the big chunks of memory sticks that still have gold attached
could just be left in the AP pot until the foils come loose. Then you will have to
filter and pick out the non gold foil stuff again.

Amigo, consider it a lesson learned. Next time you will just cut off the fingers
and process them by themselves. 8)

 

[golddigger2]

Thanks glorycloud yep lesson learned.