My first try with H2SO4

[Dlog Renim]

Hi all

So as a new member like i guess (mabe not most of us) other did i went read the more i can on the forum.. so here i have to say tank you to allot of people here !!! well.. tank you !

Here are what i started with.. i got them from ebay auction with description of not scrap gold.. real gold.. 18k solid gold. For a ridiculous price.. it was a scam of course but little fight with paypal on buyers protection and i got them for nothing !

Also i have harvested some pins and connector from graphics cards..
This is what they looked like after the bath.. i did 454g pins and jewel..
*** i am not sure if it been all un-plate.. it is my first run.. but i did keep all the material for a later try***

With some youtube hours and many hours of traduction and some members help i build my cell ..
Computer power supply on 12v been use.. (i dint get any read from the amp meter.. but i been careful to keep the bath cold as i could)

My bath was at first a little greenish and after it can dam dark.. this picture is about 2 day.. i was not to happy because i could not see any amelioration to get the powder out from there

So to make life faster i sucked all the juice to diluted it with 7 time is weight..

It went way faster and i been able to suck the top translucent solution ... i did that like 10 time (always filtering my waste) until i have it to only 1L jar

Here i finally took the bottom of the jar to go in 4 layer of coffee filter..

I took all the filter and washed them as best as i can with a water sprayer in a smaller jar again and gave a last wash of water

It was time to make the water evaporate

I finally got that black / grayish powder.. i did incinerate it so it is now ready to get in HCl-Cl bath

on the last picture final weight is 0.36g (i still have some powder sleeping in water.. i would say 0.6 or so)

Conclusion.. that was heck of fun to do from A to Z.. because i took the time to read.. and ask the good question.. taking my time with the best environment possible and the maximum security .. well it went number 1.. i dint have any issue .. i am so proud of me !

I will probably sit on this powder for couple time.. as there is not that much.. i would like to add is weight to a more important project hehe ( i have bunch of flat pack to do.. still reading on it to make it the easiest way possible )

Again tank you all.. i have fun reading most of you and learning way to much each day.. my head spinning ! but i like it !

P.s. my only question would be.. how much power should i expect from a run like this ? as i think i dint un-plate well.. i am pretty sure i will score low .. but its ok with me

or let say i have about 1g of powder.. what should i expect ounce melted ?

 

[lazersteve]

The black powder should now be dissolved in AR or HCl-Cl and purified before it is melted.

Congratulations on your learning success.

Your yields will be low on most plated costume jewelry... typically between 0.25 and 1 gram per pound, higher if you have the higher grade dull buttery yellow stuff.

Steve

 

[Dlog Renim]

To some one ..

My wife ask me a good question that i cant answer well..

Why the gold from the jewel and pin is actually a black grayish color at this moment of the process.. ?

I took my time before answering.. and all i had to answer was : ugly looking sometime need love to reveal is true face !

Some one can get into a little more explication hehe

 

[lazersteve]

The black powder is not refined yet. It still needs some tender loving care to become pure gold.

Steve

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Gold Miner, Steve is right in telling you your gold is not pure yet and still needs cleaning. But even after you've digested it in AR or HCL/Clorox and reprecipitated it will still not look like gold. The reason has to do with the particle size and the way light reflects from the tiny particles. Light hitting these miniscule bits reflects off in all directions. Gold that has been melted into a button or poured into an ingot, on the other hand, has a large, relatively smooth surface. Light reflects more directly fom it displaying the unique golden color.

A fun exercise is to take a tiny bit of your black powder and put it on a piece of plain white paper. Then take something smooth and round like the back of a spoon and rub it over the powder. It will tend to flatten the bits of powder onto the paper, providing a broader, flatter surface that will reflect the familiar gold color. It won't appear as clean as after you refine it as suggested above, but it will probably look a little more like gold.

Dave