I need some assistance identifying a metal

[bklopsy]

I'm working with 12 Intel Pentium 4's. I mapp gased off back plates and soaked cpus in muratic acid to remove needles and tiny processors first. This took 20 minutes.

I sprayed down remainder cpu with spray bottle into solution. What was left at bottom of beaker along with needles was a Lot of black powders that appeared to be cementing back to needles. Not positive, but it took a bit of agitating in the wash to clean needles back to gold color. I saved remainder cpu's fiber and "all" black powder.

Just to be safe, I tested solution after needle removal, no sign of gold. It was then that I decantered solution and seperated powder from needles and put into a seperate bottle. Cleaning was quick for black powders settled very rapidly.

Next, I boiled in muriatic acid (about an hour (low boil) to remove additional base metals. Solution boiled down quickly so I added muriatic two more times. Solution showed heavy copper nitrate. I let cool down and sit for the evening and tested for gold in the morning. And here is where I need assistance.

The test resulted in a bright blue color. Not purple or black for gold or yellow brown for platinum.

According to Hoke, blue could be palladium but I see no yellow before the bright blue. It instantaneously turns bright blue. I looked on wiki to find metal composition of intel pentium 4 without luck. Steve has some intel compositions on his site but I could not find IP4's. I would appreciate any information. I will not proceed beyond this point without guidance.

Thanks

Brooks

 

[Palladium]

You lost me. You keep talking about hcl washing and something else. Then you say you tested for copper nitrate ? What are you using for an oxidizer ? Where did the nitrate part come from. You have left something out here.

 

[bklopsy]

I am trying to remove base metals. I boiled in muriatic acid only. This Cpu is not ceramic: it is fiber and I have been told has iron in it.

This is second time I am working with cpu's. First produced nice button but it came from dirty gold resulting from AR of complete CPU. My objective is to remove as much base metals before final dissolve in Nitric.

I am experimenting with this lot for two reasons. First I have hundreds of these and secondly I wish to understand what processs is required to refine these CPU's that sell quite a bit lower than ceramics.

Brooks

 

[bklopsy]

I'd like to clarify a few things here:

First, I have never used nitric. I started with Shor products and went on to muriatic/clorox.

Secondly, somewhere I misunderstood a post I read in this forum indicating that to remove base metals you boil in hydrochloric acid. These CPU's were boiled on the 27th of last month and it would be nice to continue with the refine

My first refine with cpu's was difficult to precipitate because I used way to much oxidizer and the multiple washings, decanting and siphonings along with the learning curb in general, to remove base metals, was a challange.

I will be ordering nitric first thing in the morning.

I tested solution again this afternoon and color still bright blue (not purple which I have witnessed multiple times with gold.) I tested for the sake of it even though I know HC1 does not dissolve gold.

My original question is does any one know what base metals are in a Intel pentium 4?

 

[Barren Realms 007]

From the color of it you might have had steel CPU's.

 

[bklopsy]

Barren Realms

Thank you for resonding

I have literally hundreds of these cpus that I have personally pulled from computers. And, as such, wanted to find out just how complicated they are to refine. I have heard numerous times that buyers normally do not care for these type of cpu's because of the iron in them

Because I am a noob to refining, I am not familiar with stannous results for steel.

Does steel dissolve in nitric like other base metals? My guess is yes but I have to atleast ask.

I tried ordering Nitric Friday through "Terrace Packaging" but my call went to voice mail and I have not received a return call as of yet.

My overall objective was to dissolve out base metals. Unfortunately, a lot of the gold is now in microscopic size. I filtered using three coffee filters and I could still see gold glittering in solution after filtering.

I "was" attempting to retrieve gold without AR--ing these cpus. Unfortunately, it appears that I am now forced to because of particle size of gold floating in hydrochloric solution.

Do you see it the same way? If not, what do you suggest. Thanks again

Brooks

 

[Palladium]

For that fine gold i use a 2 liter coke bottle. I drill a small hole in the lid and put it on the bottle. Then stuff the neck with toliet paper tightly. Make sure you filter the large stuff first or it will stop your filter up. Then run the fine stuff through the charmin filter.

 

[bklopsy]

Palladium

I see your objective, I'll give that filtering a shot. Thank you

Brooks