Need help stumbled onto this...

[Twistie]

I am uploading pictures and I have more to come. All labels on the pictures are GUESSES! I have never been on a forum before so I thank you for your patience.
Earlier post placed in different area..
I understand this is forum for those serious about refining as well as those willing to do research. With that being said I would like to tell you why I am here with my somewhat uneducated questions. I was left to clean out a storage unit and all items were to be put in the dumpster. During the clean out I found Au and Ag parts from electronics but I also found what appears to be chemicals and/or the byproduct of some home refining. I am not a chemist nor do I have any experience in refining, but I know enough to not put anything in the trash that says AgNO3 or H2SO4 leach. I have in the past few days researched videos on leaching precious metals from electronic and also called the local university for help. I have not gotten very far and am a bit stumped. Please understand I am a full time working mother with two young children so I do not want to keep this stuff around. I am not interested in a magic pot of gold. Just looking for advice. Thank you for your time.

 

[Twistie]

I am not sure how to add more attachments to my last post. Here are more pictures. As for the gold plated connectors it seems there is 8 lbs of Au connectors without scrap. 8 lbs with some wire scrap and 8 lbs of what I would call dirty. There are pictures of each sample below. I am most concerned with any hazard involved. Thanks again!

 

[dannlee]

Curious what the weight is for the two plastic jars in the last photo labeled "not sure what is inside these or how to find out"...

 

[necromancer]

IMG_20140325_091644_111.jpg
may be from waste treatment (sediment) may be copper (guessing)

IMG_20140325_100100_168.jpg
image to small for me to see contents

taconite mnso4.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taconite

mnso4
Manganese(II) sulfate
Chemical Compound
Manganese(II) sulfate usually refers to the inorganic compound with the formula MnSO4.
This pale pink deliquescent solid is a commercially significant manganese(II) salt

IMG_20140325_094731_309.jpg
can not read text on the jar

 

[Twistie]

IMG_20140325_091644_111.jpg
may be from waste treatment (sediment) may be copper (guessing)

IMG_20140325_100100_168.jpg
image to small for me to see contents

taconite mnso4.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taconite

mnso4
Manganese(II) sulfate
Chemical Compound
Manganese(II) sulfate usually refers to the inorganic compound with the formula MnSO4.
This pale pink deliquescent solid is a commercially significant manganese(II) salt

IMG_20140325_094731_309.jpg
can not read text on the jar

IMG_20140325_094731_309.jpg
writing on jar
Au conc.
2x H2SO4 leach and roast

 

[butcher]

writing on jar
Au conc.
2x H2SO4 leach and roast

Gold concentrate
leached 2 times with sulfuric acid and roasted.

 

[Ian_B]

It looks like their might be some sterling silver foils and a base to weighted candlesticks in that box of silver and misc silver picture.

If it says sterling on that piece that looks like the top of a soup can I would say take it out of the box as well as the other items that look like foil (thicker than aluminum foil) as those items are of a known purity level and have a value as is without further processing

If you go through that box and find anything that says 800, 835, sterling, 925, Coin Silver, or has a picture of a lion with one raised paw separate as well as they are already of a known purity level

The picture that says AU Conc from H2SO4 leach and roast was probably some items like circuit boards that were processed with Sulfuric acid and roasted leaving behind the undissolved metals and other materials

 

[Twistie]

writing on jar
Au conc.
2x H2SO4 leach and roast

Gold concentrate
leached 2 times with sulfuric acid and roasted.

Thank you and I was able to learn that from my research. At first I thought the Au Conc. might mean gold connectors. However what I could not figure out was what stage of refining this was. Does it mean the gold was already chemically treated and melted out? If it is waste is it hazardous?

 

[Twistie]

It looks like their might be some sterling silver foils and a base to weighted candlesticks in that box of silver and misc silver picture.

If it says sterling on that piece that looks like the top of a soup can I would say take it out of the box as well as the other items that look like foil (thicker than aluminum foil) as those items are of a known purity level and have a value as is without further processing

If you go through that box and find anything that says 800, 835, sterling, 925, Coin Silver, or has a picture of a lion with one raised paw separate as well as they are already of a known purity level

The picture that says AU Conc from H2SO4 leach and roast was probably some items like circuit boards that were processed with Sulfuric acid and roasted leaving behind the undissolved metals and other materials

Thank you. I have done a lot of research and learned much through this discovery. I will further look into the safe disposal of the Au leach. I have been working my way through the online book recommended. Most of the parts in the silver box seem to be part that are silver and copper alloy

 

[solar_plasma]

Most salts may be more or less cancerogene and/or allergenes, so wear gloves also when holding the vessels in your hand, goggles and wash hands always after having handled those vessels.

 

[Pantherlikher]

Perhaps you ask the wrong questions.
What part of the world are you and who might be near enough to look everything over and help you deside what to do with it.

Maybe someone here would be interested in safely handling this for you on a toll refinning level.

B.S.

 

[nickvc]

Twistie that bottom picture of the two jars looks very much like gold powder that's been refined but I could well be mistaken. As has been suggested post a general location not just USA, it's a large country, and ask for people near you to help, post all dealings with names and then we can either say they are good people or not. You could have a decent amount of money in that material so let's get it sorted and safely and fairly.

 

[Twistie]

Twistie that bottom picture of the two jars looks very much like gold powder that's been refined but I could well be mistaken. As has been suggested post a general location not just USA, it's a large country, and ask for people near you to help, post all dealings with names and then we can either say they are good people or not. You could have a decent amount of money in that material so let's get it sorted and safely and fairly.

Thanks for the thought, I have updated my profile to include my hometown of Tucson AZ. This experience has been so educational. It has been a very long time since I have researched something with such passion and its nice to know my brain still works! It seems I am more interested in chemistry than I ever remember. If I was confident in my ability I would do some refining with my daughter for her school science fair project, but I am not.

 

[Twistie]

Perhaps you ask the wrong questions.
What part of the world are you and who might be near enough to look everything over and help you deside what to do with it.

Maybe someone here would be interested in safely handling this for you on a toll refinning level.

B.S.

Thanks, I updated my profile to include my hometown of Tucson AZ

 

[Pantherlikher]

You reaslly wouldn't want to use the dangerous chemicals and mixes with your daughter. Especially with a science fair. Too many hazzards waiting for an accident.

Wish you were a tad closer to Pennsylvania, I'd help more.

If there's no one here close enough to you, you can offer to have 1 of us refine it and help you sell it. Just keep ALL of us informed of the dealings before doing anything. There are a few great people here but there's always the select few that have no problem being dishonest.

Good luck

B.S.

 

[mls26cwru]

those two plastic jars of powder look an aweful lot like precipitated copper...if there is some green coloring in there, thats probably what it is... It could be gold powder, but that would be a crazy amount of gold. can you get some better close ups of the powder?

 

[necromancer]

does anyone have photos of there dried sediment from a waste treatment system
that can be compared to the 2 plastic jars ??

 

[Twistie]

You reaslly wouldn't want to use the dangerous chemicals and mixes with your daughter. Especially with a science fair. Too many hazzards waiting for an accident.

Wish you were a tad closer to Pennsylvania, I'd help more.

If there's no one here close enough to you, you can offer to have 1 of us refine it and help you sell it. Just keep ALL of us informed of the dealings before doing anything. There are a few great people here but there's always the select few that have no problem being dishonest.

Good luck

B.S.

You are correct, way too many dangers involved that is one reason I am not storing at my home. Thanks for the advise and concern. Beth

 

[Ian_B]

The AU Conc picture Probably still contains the Gold as I believe it was probably the other metals that were leached away with the Sulfuric acid. Don't dispose of that container yet before someone can test the material for you.

 

[Twistie]

Out of respect for the gentleman who was the original owner of these items I wanted to share a bit of information, if only to show gratitude for giving me a reason to get excited about something new. It seems he went to high school in 1937 in Connecticut. I recovered his yearbooks from the dumpster and am sending back to the school. By the time I was involved in the unit clean out it was already half done so I am glad to see dumpster diving is not frowned on here. He had well over 50 leather bound text books on geology, chemistry and physics from the 30's 40's and 50's. Again all recovered from the dumpster and donated. There were also many pictures of a mining operation in Venezuela, including one with the president of Venezuela from 1953 hitting the "start up button" of the mine.

To think, the reason I took a second look at the items in the dumpster was because I was concerned about hazardous materials being dumped. The more I searched the more intrigued I became. To be clear I did contact the family members who told me to discard the items and let them know what I had found out about the Au & Ag electrical scraps. There were in no way interested in recovering it and it seemed they had no real need for the money, if any gained.

Thanks for reading. Beth