Iron, Copper, Palladium in AP

[joubjonn]

I have question that I have searched around the forum for and didn't really find a good answer

I decided to take the magnetized pieces and plates from incinerated IC's and place them in an AP bath.

1500ml of HCl with 50ml of peroxide. this has been sitting for a few days now, it's a nice green color but the reaction has slowed so I just added a bubbler to the mix.

I am expecting mostly silver and palladium, not a lot but just wanted to try this out. I didn't weigh the pieces but I estimate it to be about 150-200 grams. my question is, I assume anything below copper will cement out and I will be left with a iron/copper dissolved solution. is correct? or will I also have dissolved palladium into the solution. I understand this was probably not the best way for this. I just didn't want to use nitric as I don't expect a big yield from this. can or should this solution be re-used for more magnetic IC pieces? if I was gonna do fingers or only copper/gold I would make a seperate non-iron AP. this is just got mag IC pieces.

thanks!

 

[johnny309]

You should add some fingers or pins to the solution in order to "gain" more copper....this will help to fasten the reaction and to precipitate any precious metals...

 

[Reno Chris]

If the concept is that you will take Fe, Co, Ni and Cu (and any other reactive base metals) into solution, that should work. It will not cement out, it should be found as insoluble stuff in the bottom of the beaker as Cu+ to Cu++ is not a strong enough oxidizing agent to react with Ag or Pd. In addition to the Cu+ to Cu++ reaction discussed often here, there is also a Fe++ to Fe+++ reaction that takes place with exposure of Fe++ to oxygen. Fe+++ is an oxidizing agent similar in power to Cu++ but a bit stronger. Neither is strong enough to oxidize Ag, Au or Pd. In theory you should have any Pd, Ag or attached Au bonding wires and such as insoluble materials at the bottom of the beaker. You many also have other insoluble materials such as carbon and silicon which as also often present in very small amounts in steel - so don't figure that 100% of the insoluble is some type of PM.
I had thought of trying this myself, so do tell us what your observations are with this test.

 

[Geo]

I've done many cleanup's that had black, insoluble material. I tried to melt some one time and it turned into a rainbow colored slag in the flux.I crushed it fine and didn't find any beads. I figured it was copper or iron.

 

[joubjonn]

ended up finding a very weak stain of palladium on the stannous test when I dissolved the black left overs in the AP solution. the dissolved metal was from IC pieces left in the strainer.

 

[Pantherlikher]

"I assume anything below copper will cement out and I will be left with a iron/copper dissolved solution. is correct?"

Is this correct? or is it anything "above" copper? ...I need to clearify.

Did you dissolve in AP? or AR? Would palladium dissolve in fresh AP?

I would assume you rid the solids of almost all base metals and have mostly PMs left as solid. But how would you know if you have all base metals out?

I'm thinking this for my stock pot system.
Spent solution going into first pot which I now have crap gold plated steel and other metals in (cheap jewelry, ferris gold baring). The solution working on base metals untill full. Then on to a second pot with copper in it to make sure all PMs are out before moving to the 3rd pot with steel to drop? only copper or does steel replace anything else?
After, it moves to a fourth bucket to raise PH and evaporate.

I am guessing you incinerate and then nitric acid to have only gold and insolubiles left.

B.S.
...Questions always lead to more questions...

 

[Geo]

Some metal salts are insoluble in strong acids, like silver chloride. When exposed to light, it will darken to almost black.

 

[soutex]

"I decided to take the magnetized pieces and plates from incinerated IC's and place them in an AP bath."

According to the research I've conducted about AP, it reacts only on non-ferrous base metals but does not react on PM. Not sure how putting magnetic (and therefore ferrous) metal in AP will have any benefits. Additional research has suggested putting a ferric rod in AP will cement out any copper (or lower metal). I am a complete beginner, so this has me wondering if my research is correct or not.

 

[MicheleM]

"I decided to take the magnetized pieces and plates from incinerated IC's and place them in an AP bath."

According to the research I've conducted about AP, it reacts only on non-ferrous base metals but does not react on PM. Not sure how putting magnetic (and therefore ferrous) metal in AP will have any benefits. Additional research has suggested putting a ferric rod in AP will cement out any copper (or lower metal). I am a complete beginner, so this has me wondering if my research is correct or not.

CuCl2 (aq) will dissolve almost all base metals, Sn, Pb,Fe,Ni, Cu , steel , and Fe/Ni alloys included. Even Pd, in particular conditions, can be dissolved