Mixed everything in Aqua Regia

[Vibhav]

Folks, i was trying my hands with recovering gold from processor chips, gold plated LAN connectors and RAM connectors, so i put them into AR solution (1:1 of 70% HNO3+ 30% HCL) solution, but while i immersed the stuff into the acids, i notices a regorous reaction and found everything except the plastic casing of the processor chips dissolved completely, i removed it and treated it with urea and tried precipitating gold with Sodium bisulphate, now i have a thick residue (am sure its not all gold for sure). i may be sounding pretty dumb to many of you but i really need some good advice as to how do i get my gold back from this residue

pls advice.. thank you

 

[hoosierdaddy]

How much time have you spent on research. It is simple to tell you that you use sodium metabisulfite. If you are going to practice gold recovery it is best to get as much knowledge as you can before you start using chemicals. I is a judgment call that you haven't been doing this for very long. So the best fix I can give you is to put everything away for the moment, put YouTube on the back burner, and download and read Hoke's book. Get as much information as you can from the forum, andbe ready for a lot of criticism.
Not trying to turn you away by any means... just want to keep you safe. Do the research first.

 

[Vibhav]

Hey Thanks for your reply Daddy, Frankly i do welcome criticism and the positive intent behind it..
For my research, you are right i havent donemuch except some paid books and free videos along with MSDS details for the chemicals used. And referred them back again when i messed things up and did not find any fix for my problem.. Also it was a Typo from my side it waws bisulfite and not sulphate as mentioned by me earlier.

Will research further but do let me know (anyone) for now sa to how do i get my gold back from this residue.. thanks

 

[nickvc]

Vibhav welcome to the forum.
The advice you have already been given is the best advice, put your toxic mix of chemicals somewhere safe and start reading and studying here in the forum.
I'm not trying to be derogatory or patronising but what is the point of any of us trying to answer the question if you don't know what the answers mean, spend some time doing as suggested and you may be able to answer your own question but failing that you will understand the advice given.
All you need to know is here on the forum, use the search function, top right of your screen, and you will almost certainly find many posts similar to yours and the best news, it's free and the advice given is by some of the finest refiners on the planet.
Good luck and get reading.

 

[solar_plasma]

h further but do let me know (anyone) for now sa to how do i get my gold back from this residue

hoosierdaddy (and after I started writing this, also nickvc) gave you the only correct advice and the only useful answer to exactly that question: put everything a save place, read Hoke, read it again, read the forum starting here

Once you have learned what to do, you are very welcome to ask if you understood everything correctly.

 

[kurtak]

Vibhav

As others have already said - put everything safely stored to the side - the gold is not going to go anywhere & you can come back to it once you have a better understanding about all of this.

We are not trying to put you off - the fact is that the best advice we can give you at this time is for you to spend some time doing some research in order to get a basic foundation of understanding about the recovery & refining processes - that will allow you to ask better questions which we will be more then glad to help you with (& trust me - we will know if you have done your research home work) --- besides asking better questions - you will also then better understand the answers

Reading Hokes book is a must do --- you will find it in the signature line (bottom) of any of FrugalRefiner posting so look for anything posted by him - he is a moderator so his name (FrugalRefiner) will be in green --- its a free download book

Edit to add; - welcome to the forum - you have just found the worlds best source of information about precious metal recovery & refining

Kurt

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Vibhav, welcome to the forum. Since you're open to constructive criticism, I'll share a few thoughts on what you've written.

Folks, i was trying my hands with recovering gold from processor chips, gold plated LAN connectors and RAM connectors

It's best to separate your feed stock into separate batches for processing. You didn't say what type of processor chips you have. Different types benefit from using different processes. Gold plated LAN connectors don't have much gold on them, and dissolving them in AR may cost you more in chemicals than the value of the gold. RAM connectors (usually referred to here as fingers) would be better processed in CuCl₂ (also known as AP), or nitric acid first to eliminate much of the base metals before dissolving the gold.

so i put them into AR solution (1:1 of 70% HNO3+ 30% HCL) solution

You used far too much nitric. The ratio is usually somewhere around 3 or 4 parts HCl and 1 part HNO₃, but it's best to add the nitric in small increments to avoid using too much.

but while i immersed the stuff into the acids, i notices a regorous reaction and found everything except the plastic casing of the processor chips dissolved completely

The "plastic" cases of the "processor chips" still contain gold. They need to be pyrolysed first, then incinerated to make the gold accessible.

i removed it and treated it with urea

We usually discourage the use of urea as there are better ways to eliminate excess nitric acid and it can complicate recovery.

and tried precipitating gold with Sodium bisulphate

You've mentioned in your next post that you used sodium metabisulfite, not bisulfate. Be careful with your spelling, as a mistake could cause someone else who reads your post to use the wrong chemical.

now i have a thick residue (am sure its not all gold for sure). i may be sounding pretty dumb to many of you but i really need some good advice as to how do i get my gold back from this residue

You didn't mention testing anywhere, so we don't know if you had gold in solution, or if it has all been precipitated. Now you have a "thick residue", which may or may not contain gold, but which may also contain a lot of base metals.

These are some of the reasons others have told you to set your chemicals safely aside until you learn more about how to do this. It really is the best advice. As you read and study, you'll learn how to proceed with what you have.

There are many reasons no one can give you a quick, simple answer of what to do. Read through the Why Can't I Ask a Simple Question and get a Simple Answer? thread to help you understand. I also encourage new members to read the Tips for Navigating and Posting on the Forum thread. Follow all the links and it will get you off to a good start here.

Dave

 

[solar_plasma]

:lol: I guess this is the most profound and massive list of welcome advices any "I made a mess"-noob ever got, before he got to write a second post. If this isn't persuasive enough, then I don't know what else could persuade someone new and give him a good start.

edit: before he got to write a third post. - still not bad

 

[Vibhav]

Thank you Every one for your advice and feedback, specially Dave, you were very specific with your comments

I do realise i was doing many things wrong at the same time, and processed 3500 Ram chips, 700 MPs and 2 KG gold pins in a wrong manner. Understand its nit too easy, will read and try to sort this stuff out for myself

Thanks again :idea: :idea:

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

Thank you Every one for your advice and feedback, specially Dave, you were very specific with your comments

I do realise i was doing many things wrong at the same time, and processed 3500 Ram chips, 700 MPs and 2 KG gold pins in a wrong manner. Understand its nit too easy, will read and try to sort this stuff out for myself

Thanks again :idea: :idea:

Everyone here is beyond helpful. They (unknowingly) got me out of a mess exactly like the one you have now... I literally JUST finished fixing that error (string of errors over a couple months) a couple days ago so that i could rerun the PMs in the correct AR ratios.

I just want to add s coiple things that may help persuade you to further your education in this great field (or at least get to a spot you are comfortable setting everything away for awhile until you get a semester or so done...trust me...the learning in itself, if done, is VERY rewarding in its own right... IF done, YOU then become one of the few mortals who can atomically manipulate pm alloys to bend to your will, separating them all to their constituent elements... Its a great feeling and sence of pride, and accomplishment)
make stannous chloride. Test with stannous your AR solution.

If positive, cement on copper. (the precious metals, if any in solution, will be replaced by the copper in a transfer of electrons, dictated by the reactivity series of metals)

Waste treatment your (most likely) negative SnCl tested liquid.

Store your sludge until you read hoke... Its a great book, that was written by a brilliant mind... And it has helped and influenced the majority of the great refiners on this forum. You will be well served to read it and do as she suggests...read the entire chapter... Read it again, doing as she instructs, and taking notes... If you get stuck anymore along the line. Feel free to ask, any and everyone on here is more than helpful.

Hope you stick around to continue your education (we are ALL still learning)

Everything i have put into large font should be searched... The search function on the forum can be a bit overwhelming at first...so what i did in the beginning was go to google and in the search box type
Site:www.goldrefiningforum.com make stannous chloride palladium(members name, like the element...he has a good post)

Site:www.goldrefiningforum.com test with stannous lazersteve
(another great member with an excellent post on stannous test colors...search false positive SnCl as well)
Site:www.goldrefiningforum.com cement on copper

Then, every good search, open in a new tab (even if it looks like theres 20, read them, your cup will overfloweth with the great things you will learn)

Good luck! Hope you get it worked out! (if not, ill dispose of that waste for you ]

 

[Vibhav]

Gents
Some great news, based on some of my research and reading, i was able to reduce the residue to 1/4th of the original amount. prepared a mix of HCL(31%) with h2o2 and mixed the residue in there and this liquid was able to eat up significant amount of sides, and i read this mix wont eat up gold so i hope my gold is intact in the residue

Will keep posting as i progress

 

[solar_plasma]

But it will as soon as base metals are dissolved. Always test any solution before discarding!

I don't know where you read that HCl/H2O2 won't dissolve gold?! Of course it does. HCl alone would probably have been enough.

Once more:

put everything a save place

You will not be able to read what is needed in less than 4 weeks.

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

But it will as soon as base metals are dissolved. Always test any solution before discarding!

I don't know where you read that HCl/H2O2 won't dissolve gold?! Of course it does. HCl alone would probably have been enough.

Once more:

put everything a save place

You will not be able to read what is needed in less than 4 weeks.

Maybe 4 years!

There are 200,000++ posts on this forum, in addition to tge MANY MANY books posted up here... If i get half of the forum and the books read by the time 2020 rolls around, id be one happy camper..er, refiner!

 

[nickvc]

There are the best brains and minds in the recovery and refining world here and even they will admit they don't know it all as the subject is so huge, we all learn something new if we read here regularly.

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

Gents
Some great news, based on some of my research and reading, i was able to reduce the residue to 1/4th of the original amount. prepared a mix of HCL(31%) with h2o2 and mixed the residue in there and this liquid was able to eat up significant amount of sides, and i read this mix wont eat up gold so i hope my gold is intact in the residue

Will keep posting as i progress

I hate to be the bearer of bad news...must this will most certainly dissolve gold and hold in solution if prepared wrong, even in the least bit.

HCl +H202 is just the beginning of the acid peroxide leach, also known as copper (II) chloride... H2O2 is the oxidizer in this reaction. If there is excess peroxide, or a high strength (3% is gods plenty) it will pull gold to solution. If heat is added, it will also help the peroxide oxidize (dissolve) the gold.

Tread carefully. But, so long as you read the forum for this instead of youtube, you should be fine...

The ratios on youtube (some are ridiculously high) of 1:1 even 4:1 HCl to H2O2 is toooooo much...way too much... Just a splash of H2O2 is more than sufficient.

Go to lazersteves website...download his copper chloride leach pdf...study it and take notes... Colors tell us a great many things...

Test the solution with stannous periodically, just to be certain you dont do anything you dont want...like dissolve the gold

Best of luck

 

[patnor1011]

I think that with amounts you stated you processed you did use rather large amounts of acid. I do not believe you were able to successfully eliminate all nitric with urea so your gold can be pretty much everywhere. Even in what you consider waste solution.
Do yourself a favor and read a bit about testing with stannous.
How did you actually processed 3500 Ram chips?
What is 700 MPs ?