Kevin,
I'm very interested in this project. I've often wanted to try specific gravity methods on various items but I never had the right equipment to play with. I really wanted to try auto catalysts after reading those patents back in the '70s and '80s. If you can fine tune this to the point of desired profit, it could be very, very good. It's a no hassle way to do it if you can burn it right and keep it legal. You might do some more experiments with the unburned boards.
Weigh, weigh, weigh. Assay, assay, assay. Record everything.
- Do you have photos of the starting material? After incineration?
- Was that 20 pounds from your new Hammers or did you use a ball mill? Was the 20# the only fraction? If not, what do the other fractions look like and what are their weights?
If you do this right, I foresee lots of fire assays in your future. You could save much time and money by setting up to do your own fire assays. Best of all, you would have more control. For what you need, it would cost right at $5000. Extremely easy to learn (takes about 8 hours to learn enough to do it - 3 or 4 batches) with the right instruction. You also need your own table with all the bells and whistles.
In many ways, a fire assay setup is the money-makingest thing a refinery can own. Were I to start another refinery (I've been thinking about it), it's the first thing I would buy. With it alone, a source of almost any type of material, and a calculator, you can make money. Add a gas crucible furnace and a small fume hood and you can make more.
