daytona69us
Member
Let me start by saying GREAT SITE!! I have been reading your forum for bout 2 years now and have learned a great deal. Unfortunately this is my first post. I ran across a large amount of PCB's for the aerospace ind last winter. Several different types of boards, 7 x .5 x .25 aluminum core with layer of copper, nickel(???), gold(thick 22k) next 7 x 5 x 1/8 copper bar with thick plastic, with gold plated contacts, glued on one side, trick is the gold on the plastic does not contact copper. Others were fiberglass boards which I used hcl to remove foils. I also picked up a bunch of stuff used for plating(titanium screen, flat titanium, electro-plater 50amp power supply, circulatory pumps, heaters, etc.). Thanks to the info here I have been processing these for many months now. I have produced more than a pound so far.
ARA in Dallas is a GREAT refiner 2% fee that's it, our numbers matched all the way.
Ok hears the deal..
Made a cell using carbon rods(dry cell, 6 or 7, spaced bout an inch) suspended from titanium for cathode(tried shallow and deep), made titanium clips for anode, liquid fire for electrolyte, electro-plater power supply(0-25v - 0-50amp). When I first started everything went fine, as I started my next batch things were a bit different, and so on. First it doesn't take long for the amps to start getting high like 30+, and hot of course, have to turn voltage way down when I do after a minute or so the amps will go close to 0 and the gold remaining stops coming off(no bubbles, black powder or circulation), I tried wide dish, narrow dish. I can only do 2 maybe 4 boards at a time. First time got a nice chunk bout an ounce, second time less and so on. First time purity was good 22+ second time lotta copper bout 18K and so on. Tried reusing acid at first that definitely didn't work amps would go too high, been using fresh acid each time(liquid fire). Tried freezing acid to drop out metals didn't work. Powders still appear and disappear sometimes. Usually when cell is full(amps high 30+),after I rinse all the sulphuric out, what powder is there is what I wind up with. I still do a Hcl was n rinse then do an ammonia hydroxide wash n rinse. The hcl does not discolor at all(maybe a bit yellow) but the ammonia turns dark blue(beautiful), but very very little of the amount of powder changes. As mentioned the boards have a layer of a shiny silver metal between the gold ad copper I am supposing this is nickle. It comes off in the cell before amps go to zero or near, but by then its getting into the already exposed copper layer. The longer I use the cell and as acid heats up I have to turn volts(amps) down. Got good filters, vacuum system, centrifuge, all kinds of lab stuff. Haven't thrown anything away.
Have almost 20 gallons of spent Hcl(black, clogs filter fast). Plate out metals?
What is recommended max amperage( I can hit 50 and make it sizzle)?
How do I clean metals(copper) from acid(suppose this is what is making it so conductive)?
How can I recover this silver metal?
Is there enough chlorine in tap water to react with Hcl and dissolve gold?
Next problem:
I have 2 types of the copper boards mentioned earlier the other one is basically the same except twice as wide. These boards have the least amount of gold on them. I have been heating them(too slow) to remove the plastic with gold contacts of which I put in hcl. Then run the boards thru the cell 15+ at a time, in a makeshift titanium plating basket(too slow, amps runaway). The deal is I have 6 or 7 5 gallon buckets(several thousand, over 150lbs per bucket ) of these boards, each solid copper. I also have some titanium(like expanded metal) plating baskets 3' x 8" x 4". I can fit the narrow boards thru the slots of this. I have plastic 55gal drum to cut for a tank(it will handle 400+F). Have 2 2' x 2' pieces of stainless(like corrugated) cathodes (from the same place), one had a layer of copper probably a mil thick on it that pealed off fairly easy. Was thinkin cut the drum, shove boards in the basket anode, drop in the SS cathode, and shoot the juice to it, ELECTROLYTE! Gotta have a bunch(20gal+) of it(limited budget) I have to get this wrapped up in the next three weeks.
Was thinkin saltwater?
Any ideas for that large amount?
Large membrane?
I was in Taiwan last month and carried a 87g 22k chunk with me. Went to a shop and did some horse tradin. He tested the purity by putting water at precisely 25c(?) in a beaker, placing this on scales, suspended the piece of gold in the water from a thread, did some math and viola he said it was 22k.
I guess this was based on specific gravity?
Is anyone familiar with this method?
Could you elaborate on the details?
ARA in Dallas is a GREAT refiner 2% fee that's it, our numbers matched all the way.
Ok hears the deal..
Made a cell using carbon rods(dry cell, 6 or 7, spaced bout an inch) suspended from titanium for cathode(tried shallow and deep), made titanium clips for anode, liquid fire for electrolyte, electro-plater power supply(0-25v - 0-50amp). When I first started everything went fine, as I started my next batch things were a bit different, and so on. First it doesn't take long for the amps to start getting high like 30+, and hot of course, have to turn voltage way down when I do after a minute or so the amps will go close to 0 and the gold remaining stops coming off(no bubbles, black powder or circulation), I tried wide dish, narrow dish. I can only do 2 maybe 4 boards at a time. First time got a nice chunk bout an ounce, second time less and so on. First time purity was good 22+ second time lotta copper bout 18K and so on. Tried reusing acid at first that definitely didn't work amps would go too high, been using fresh acid each time(liquid fire). Tried freezing acid to drop out metals didn't work. Powders still appear and disappear sometimes. Usually when cell is full(amps high 30+),after I rinse all the sulphuric out, what powder is there is what I wind up with. I still do a Hcl was n rinse then do an ammonia hydroxide wash n rinse. The hcl does not discolor at all(maybe a bit yellow) but the ammonia turns dark blue(beautiful), but very very little of the amount of powder changes. As mentioned the boards have a layer of a shiny silver metal between the gold ad copper I am supposing this is nickle. It comes off in the cell before amps go to zero or near, but by then its getting into the already exposed copper layer. The longer I use the cell and as acid heats up I have to turn volts(amps) down. Got good filters, vacuum system, centrifuge, all kinds of lab stuff. Haven't thrown anything away.
Have almost 20 gallons of spent Hcl(black, clogs filter fast). Plate out metals?
What is recommended max amperage( I can hit 50 and make it sizzle)?
How do I clean metals(copper) from acid(suppose this is what is making it so conductive)?
How can I recover this silver metal?
Is there enough chlorine in tap water to react with Hcl and dissolve gold?
Next problem:
I have 2 types of the copper boards mentioned earlier the other one is basically the same except twice as wide. These boards have the least amount of gold on them. I have been heating them(too slow) to remove the plastic with gold contacts of which I put in hcl. Then run the boards thru the cell 15+ at a time, in a makeshift titanium plating basket(too slow, amps runaway). The deal is I have 6 or 7 5 gallon buckets(several thousand, over 150lbs per bucket ) of these boards, each solid copper. I also have some titanium(like expanded metal) plating baskets 3' x 8" x 4". I can fit the narrow boards thru the slots of this. I have plastic 55gal drum to cut for a tank(it will handle 400+F). Have 2 2' x 2' pieces of stainless(like corrugated) cathodes (from the same place), one had a layer of copper probably a mil thick on it that pealed off fairly easy. Was thinkin cut the drum, shove boards in the basket anode, drop in the SS cathode, and shoot the juice to it, ELECTROLYTE! Gotta have a bunch(20gal+) of it(limited budget) I have to get this wrapped up in the next three weeks.
Was thinkin saltwater?
Any ideas for that large amount?
Large membrane?
I was in Taiwan last month and carried a 87g 22k chunk with me. Went to a shop and did some horse tradin. He tested the purity by putting water at precisely 25c(?) in a beaker, placing this on scales, suspended the piece of gold in the water from a thread, did some math and viola he said it was 22k.
I guess this was based on specific gravity?
Is anyone familiar with this method?
Could you elaborate on the details?