My first AP process with fingers

[jmdlcar]

Hi,

The finger in the coffee pot is that gold in the picture?

Jack

 

[ilikesilver]

Hi,

The finger in the coffee pot is that gold in the picture?

Jack

yes, the last two pictures, one is the bottom of the coffee pot, which was the first run of fingers. the second picture shows a big foil floating on top of the AP fluid in the buckets. tim

 

[jmdlcar]

Hi,

That was nice foil let how much gold powder you from that? Did you weigh the foil?

Jack

 

[ilikesilver]

Hi,

That was nice foil let how much gold powder you from that? Did you weigh the foil?

Jack

havent weighed it yet, mainly because i havent done the refining process yet. And also that was only half the original batch. tim

 

[danogarvin123]

Have you completed your batch yet? what were the final production stats.

Process would be the same for pins would it not (w/o buckets of course)? I'm still in the gathering phase and just conducting real small batches mainly to witness reactions and reading up on what I see.Just now started a 15g pin batch, 3:1 AP with bubbler (1st AP try). Pins appear to be all kovar. Solution is clear yellow.

Someone set me straight if "m off course....please

Thanks

Dan

 

[ilikesilver]

Have you completed your batch yet? what were the final production stats.

Process would be the same for pins would it not (w/o buckets of course)? I'm still in the gathering phase and just conducting real small batches mainly to witness reactions and reading up on what I see.Just now started a 15g pin batch, 3:1 AP with bubbler (1st AP try). Pins appear to be all kovar. Solution is clear yellow.

Someone set me straight if "m off course....please

Thanks

Dan

well sounds like your on the right track thats what i used was 3 to 1 for the AP mixture. I didnt use a bubbler, normally thats only used durring colder temps if your using it in a none heated space, i believe thats what i have read, but other people use it all the time to speed up the process. I just adjatated it a few times a day and it worked fine. My process of getting the gold foils off the boards is all done as of 8 pm this evening. I was washing the gold foils with water when it started to get to dark, so i will finish tomorrow at some point. Looks like my gold mash to finish the cleaning process with the muratic acid, with be around 2.5 grams to 3 grams. Thats what im hoping for. good luck with yours. tim

 

[bswartzwelder]

The bubbler keeps the AP solution circulating constantly. You are a lot less likely to have "dead spots" in your solution where is isn't circulating with the bubbler. Back when I was making printed circuit boards as a hobby, I noticed the boards would etch faster if 1. the solution of ferric chloride was heated, and 2. If the solution was agitated by either moving the circuit boards around in the solution or the solution was kept in motion with a bubbler. Same principle.

 

[danogarvin123]

I take it that the AP process is a real slow process..especially when using it to dissolve BM's. 15 hours and only see very little dissolving going on. BM that was exposed (not plated with gold) is black and as the wicked witch of the west would say...."I'm melting". Should I be able to see allot of reaction as I do with a NHO3 bath or has my HCL been used up? My test batch was only 15g thus a 75ml/25ml was mixed.

 

[kkmonte]

I take it that the AP process is a real slow process..especially when using it to dissolve BM's. 15 hours and only see very little dissolving going on. BM that was exposed (not plated with gold) is black and as the wicked witch of the west would say...."I'm melting". Should I be able to see allot of reaction as I do with a NHO3 bath or has my HCL been used up? My test batch was only 15g thus a 75ml/25ml was mixed.

It is a slow process, you won't really see any bubbling, etc. What was the strength of your h2o2 and how much did you use (in relationship to your HCl) ? If you had too much of an oxidizer, and if your exposed copper is turning black, you might have dissolved gold in the solution cementing back out on the copper. (fine black powder). (either the gold was already in your solution or you are dissolving some of the new gold you put in).

 

[ilikesilver]

well got all my bare boards out this morning of the remainder of the first batch, and the total of the second batch. As far as Im conserned the bucket in a bucket works great. Ive washed my foils really well just in water, and have them all together in one big batch sitting in my coffee pot. I let them settle for the day, and then tonight i poured off most of my cleaning water into my cleaning bucket. Im hoping tomorrow after work i can evaporate off the remainder of the water and actually get a good weight of the foils with a descent picture. I need to pick up another gallon of muratic hopefully tomorrow also, depends on what time i get out of work though. till tomorrow

 

[danogarvin123]

I take it that the AP process is a real slow process..especially when using it to dissolve BM's. 15 hours and only see very little dissolving going on. BM that was exposed (not plated with gold) is black and as the wicked witch of the west would say...."I'm melting". Should I be able to see allot of reaction as I do with a NHO3 bath or has my HCL been used up? My test batch was only 15g thus a 75ml/25ml was mixed.

It is a slow process, you won't really see any bubbling, etc. What was the strength of your h2o2 and how much did you use (in relationship to your HCl) ? If you had too much of an oxidizer, and if your exposed copper is turning black, you might have dissolved gold in the solution cementing back out on the copper. (fine black powder). (either the gold was already in your solution or you are dissolving some of the new gold you put in).

Ken.
My HCL is 32% and H2O2 is 3%. I used 75ml/25ml ratio HCL/H2O2.If you recall I only used 15g on this batch since it's a "get acquainted" with AP process. No powder has dropped out. BM was most likely all kovar (heavy attraction with magnet}. 36 hrs now and solution is real dark but a clear yellow when I tilt it up the beaker. Foil is floating around with plating remaining on some pins. Now when I say "pins" these are extracted from connectors,etc and not from cpu's. What's black is the BM as it dissolves. Steve(Lazor) stated that heating will put Au in solution-slowly but from what I'm seeing is the entire process is extremely slow.