Magnetics and non magnetics

[Weehorror]

Good Afternoon wise ones!

I noticed on some of the vids I’ve been watching that some “refiners” will process magnetic and non magnetic separately. There is never an explanation for this.

I have about 2 kilos of gp pins from motherboards and connectors I’ve been collecting for the past 16 months. I assume it’s all mixed.

advice please?

edited to correct title - FrugalRefiner

 

[Yggdrasil]

Good Afternoon wise ones!

I noticed on some of the vids I’ve been watching that some “refiners” will process magnetic and non magnetic separately. There is never an explanation for this.

I have about 2 kilos of gp pins from motherboards and connectors I’ve been collecting for the past 16 months. I assume it’s all mixed.

advice please?

The reasoning is that the pins them selves are made from different materials.
Magnetic ones are based on Iron or Nickel.
They need different treatment than the Copper based ones which are usually treated with AP.

 

[Weehorror]

The reasoning is that the pins them selves are made from different materials.
Magnetic ones are based on Iron or Nickel.
They need different treatment than the Copper based ones which are usually treated with AP.

Ok, that makes sense. Thank you.

so I assume that lumping it all together in a nitric boil may not be the way forward?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Ok, that makes sense. Thank you.

so I assume that lumping it all together in a nitric boil may not be the way forward?

Most shy away from that for two reasons.
Nitric is expensive and hard to get some places.
And if it has some Tin in it it may create Metastannic acid which is hard to filter.

 

[Shark]

If iron precipitates from nitric it can be almost as big a pain as tin to filter.

 

[Weehorror]

Most shy away from that for two reasons.
Nitric is expensive and hard to get some places.
And if it has some Tin in it it may create Metastannic acid which is hard to filter.

Your advice is well noted. Thank you.

on another matter. Using AP normally uses 3% H.Peroxide. I have 12%. Is there a golden ratio for AP solution?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Your advice is well noted. Thank you.

on another matter. Using AP normally uses 3% H.Peroxide. I have 12%. Is there a golden ratio for AP solution?

The golden ratio is no Peroxide.
Use an aquarium bubbler and bubble air through the HCl.

 

[Weehorror]

The golden ratio is no Peroxide.
Use an aquarium bubbler and bubble air through the HCl.

Ok, so now I’m confused.

what’s the concept behind this?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Ok, so now I’m confused.

what’s the concept behind this?

What is called AP is actually a "Copper Chloride" leach.
The active component is the transition between Copper I and Copper II chloride
in which the dissolved Oxygen in the HCl play a crucial part.

Adding Peroxide is a way of kick start it,
but it is very easy to overdo it so you actually dissolve some Gold which the cements out.
A much better and cheaper way to do it is to bubble air through it.

Search the forum, there are loads of threads discussing this.

 

[4metals]

Useful thread explaining why the magnetic vs non magnetic base materials make a processing difference. Good job PoA

Unfortunately a typo in the title of the thread may make it harder to find in a future search because sand is in the title, a typo. Fixed already by a mod. Those guys are really good! thanks.

 

[Cheffrey17]

Hey guys! I’m back with a question on this topic because I’ve also heard about not using nitric with ferrous or magnetic materials, is the only reason people don’t use nitric with them because it’s expensive or hard to get? I’ve got a bunch of gold filled jewelry I’d like to process, several parts are magnetic like bands and clasps and I’m not sure if it’s steel, nickel, or iron.

I have quite a bit of nitric on hand and I know it would be quicker to process this way instead of AP but I just didn’t know if there were any other reason why not to do that?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hey guys! I’m back with a question on this topic because I’ve also heard about not using nitric with ferrous or magnetic materials, is the only reason people don’t use nitric with them because it’s expensive or hard to get? I’ve got a bunch of gold filled jewelry I’d like to process, several parts are magnetic like bands and clasps and I’m not sure if it’s steel, nickel, or iron.

I have quite a bit of nitric on hand and I know it would be quicker to process this way instead of AP but I just didn’t know if there were any other reason why not to do that?

Price is the main reason, but also some of the Iron salts from Nitric can be tricky.
One way is to leach the magnetics only to a level where the Gold becomes loose and the remove it mechanically.

 

[Shark]

Try a small iron based piece in a small amount of nitric. The end result is hard to remove with gold foils and will need to removed in the AR process, it is very tough to filter it out, even with a vacuum filtration setup.

 

[GoIdman]

Hey guys! I’m back with a question on this topic because I’ve also heard about not using nitric with ferrous or magnetic materials, is the only reason people don’t use nitric with them because it’s expensive or hard to get? I’ve got a bunch of gold filled jewelry I’d like to process, several parts are magnetic like bands and clasps and I’m not sure if it’s steel, nickel, or iron.

I have quite a bit of nitric on hand and I know it would be quicker to process this way instead of AP but I just didn’t know if there were any other reason why not to do that?

If its magnetic, most of the time it should be plated stuff, therefore IMHO a sulfuric acid cell would be the best practice. Less waste created, the acid is reusable and the gold can be refined with very little generated waste.

Pete.

 

[Alondro]

Iron dissolves fairly easily in HCl, but not some types of steel (especially stainless). However, HYDRATED HCl will dissolve iron AND nickel.

I first dissolve all copper and other easily-dissolved base metals with pure HCl, then take care of the rest with a more hydrated solution. In summer, I just let it sit in the humid air outside and it gradually hydrates itself.

Did that with some old gold-filled and plated eyeglass frames of various composition. Eventually all other metals besides the gold were gone!

 

[Shark]

If time is not a constraint, HCl will work great on gold filled. Often better than nitric if the user isn’t sure what needs separating from the rest.

 

[Ayham Hafez]

What is the best way to process magnetic pins, rather than sulphuric acid cell?

 

[4metals]

What is the best way to process magnetic pins, rather than sulphuric acid cell?

While you have never shared with the forum your intentions, your questions seem to represent a wide array of materials to process.

I do not know the difficulty of obtaining chemicals in Lybia but the best way, if you are versed in handling cyanide and recovering the values from the solution, and......... handling the waste, is a simple cyanide strip.

 

[grainsofgold]

Let’s say you r fee stock is plated gold watch links and clasps. If you run a strong magnet over it and there is no sticking to the magnet. Would it be safe to assume that you could process it with nitric or HCL to rid it of the alloys with no major worry about iron ?

Or can the feedstock still be magnetic under a heavy plating and not react to the magnet on the first attempt ?

Just thought i would ask the ?

Thanks.

GOG

 

[4metals]

A very strong magnet will pick up most magnetics, possibly even a nickel under plate.

Most commercial refiners need a fast go no go indication and that is a magnet. That is based on the old adage that time is money.