Need Help

[Ramd]

those are the step i have dont,please tell me where did i get wrong! I dont get gold powder
1:clean the gold scraps,(computer connectors,CPUs,cell pcbs...)
2:cover them with aqua regia
3:leave the reaction overnight.
4:filtering the liquid.(liquid shows dark brown,dark green)
5:heat the filted liquid for 3-4times and add HCl repeatly, then leave the liquid cold down to room temp.
6:add SMB(sodium metabisulfite) for precipitaion.

but there's nothing happy,there wasnot any gold powder at the bottom. please tell me which step i have did wrong. i have try many chemicals for precipitaion, such as extra Fe,potassium metabisulfite,ferrous sulfate,sodium bicarbonate... they dont work at all. Please help me, and by the way,how do i know whether it's gold in the solution? do i test the solution with tin II chloride dihydrate?

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Ramd,

I see quite a few problems in what you've done. You've mixed different types of scrap in one batch that should not have been mixed. You didn't remove base metals before you used AR. Heating AR does nothing to eliminate excess HNO3 unless you evaporate it down to a syrup. You didn't test your solution for gold before adding SMB or whatever else you threw into your solution.

I would guess any gold you had was already sitting in the sludge at the bottom of your solution, having been cemented out of solution by all the other metals you dissolved into this mess.

My advice would be to stop where you are, set your solutions aside (the gold won't go anywhere unless you throw it out), and start studying. To get you started, here is some suggested reading:

The first rule is to be safe in everything you do. Before you jump into any of the processes you see discussed here, be sure you understand the potential hazards and do everything you can to minimize the risks. Read EVERYTHING in the Safety section of the forum, especially the Dealing with Waste topic. No amount of precious metal is worth jeopardizing your health or the health of those around you.

I strongly encourage all new members to follow the Guided Tour created by LazerSteve. It will provide an introduction to the forum and numerous valuable links including the General Reactions List. Be sure to follow the link to his web site as he has many outstanding videos, a collection of great reference documents, and he sells a lot of the supplies needed to get started including detailed instructional DVDs. Samuel-a also has a lot of videos, guides and tutorials at his web site Gold-N-Scrap.

Download C.M. Hoke's book Refining Precious Metal Wastes. You'll see her book mentioned repeatedly here on the forum for good reason. It is probably the best book ever written for the beginner who wants to learn refining. It is written in layman's terms and will provide a solid foundation that will help you understand everything you read here on the forum. You'll also find a tremendous amount of information in the two Forum Handbooks compiled by aflacglobal, Forum Handbook Vol 1 and Forum Handbook Vol 2.

Once you understand the basics you can start to try some small scale experiments. If there's something you don't understand or you get stuck, there will be someone here to help you.

Best of luck,
Dave

 

[bswartzwelder]

Excellent advice from FrugalRefiner. Listen to what he and many of the experienced members here on the forum tell you and it's possible you may still be able to recover your values. One of the biggest lessons for new refiners to learn is patience. You must also learn to sort out the facts from the fiction. If you saw it on YouTube and didn't read about it here, be skeptical. I don't understand why, but people put things out on the Internet that just don't work as they imply they will. This forum has enough talented people on it telling it the right way. If anyone makes a mistake, someone else will be sure to jump in and point out the error(s) they have made.

Welcom to the forum. Sit back with your favorite beverage and start studying. While the people here are more than happy to help you, you must show them that you are willing to help yourself. You will not be spoon fed everything. You must show you want to learn. Good luck and be safe.