how to process gold plated iron screws?

[arthur kierski]

i have 50lbs of gold plated screws.i want to extract the gold-----
what i have to do ?---thanks in advance to all replies

 

[lazersteve]

Build a large sulfuric cell and strip them.

Steve

 

[Harold_V]

They would lend themselves very well to stripping with cyanide, assuming you have the capability.

Harold

 

[arthur kierski]

thanks harold and steve----as i do not have the faintest idea how to build a h2so4 cell,i will strip the gold with a product called gold stripper which is a cianide based product and strips up to 20grams of gold per litre of the product

 

[goldsilverpro]

Before selecting a commercial cyanide gold stripper, make sure that it is formulated so that you can simply recover all the gold from it, preferably using zinc dust. With some strippers, this is virtually impossible, since the gold is so tightly bound. An example is Technistrip AU. With these, the manufacturer is about the only one that can get it out - then, you're at his mercy.

Try to find a product that is only sodium cyanide plus m-nitrobenzoate (m-NBSS). You don't want a product that is 100% efficient in not attacking copper. Talk to the vendor and explain your needs.

I used to strip maybe 10, or more, pounds at a time, outside, in a small cement mixer using about 2 gallons of hot water from the tap, about 1/2 pound of sodium cyanide, and about 25-50 cc of 30-35% H2O2.

Are the screws copper based or, are they steel?

 

[arthur kierski]

--- i took 100grams and did with ap--it formed small foils and underneath it was iron or steel- ,very magnetic and no copper present
thanks gsp for the explanation