Hello, I'm Ed, new to your forum, I'm no computer person, I have no idea where I should post. Administrator, if I'm in the wrong place, just kick me into where I should be. Here's my situaton:
I have some 200-300 mesh powder from electrical/industrial scrap. It's about the consistancy of wheat flour. I sent (3) 200 gram samples of this material to a State/EPA certified lab for PM analysis. The results were puzzeling. The three samples were taken from the same 40 kilo lot, well mixed and screened. I did some very slight concentration of two of the samples, the third was left as it was originally recovered. The three samples were labled "S"= straight-as originally recovered, "W"=washed, meaning pan washed to remove most of the lightest material and "M"=mganetic seperation (removal of as much Fe as possible) but not washed.
The Lab used the EPA 6010B method. (ICPA emissions spectrometry), here are the results in mg/kg (ppm).
"s" Ru 118, Rh 1.54, Pd 2.09, Os 30.1, (Ir 37300), Pt 63.7, Au 314, Ag 429
"M" Ru 317, Rh 40.3, Pd -, Os 90.8, (Ir 6870), Pt 146, Au 5830, Ag 212
"W" Ru 414, Rh -, Pd-, Os 131, (Ir 52100), Pt 108, Au 458, Ag 661
The numbers are totally crazy? Look at the Ir? Where did this sample come from and asteroid?
I am trying to determine how to process this material with out loosing the Ir (IF IT IS REAL) because that is where the money is.
I am considering the following halide leach method. (Under negative pressure.) Stating with approx. 90# of powder. (1) Place 5 gal of 32% HCL (at ambient temp) into a 20 gal plastic drum. Slowly sift and stir in the powder to form a mud/heavy slurry. This should neutralize any inorganics. (2) Add an additional 5 gal of 15% HCL continuing to stir (I would guestimate 1 hr or so) until all metalics have been contacted. (3) Slowly add 2 gal of NaOCL by drip (maybe 3-4 gph), continue stirring for another 3-4 hrs. (4) Decant mother liquor, (5) Rinse residue through course, medium and fine stacked filter screens to produce a clear liquid, (add this liquid to mother liquor). (6) Check gangue sludge for values/dispose.
AT THIS POINT, I could, nueteralize my leach with NaOH to precipitate all my base metals as hydroxides, BUT, that would take down my Ag also, which would cause another operation to recover.
QUESTION: Could I just cement all my "high velance" precious metals, (including Ag) by the use of a large perferated copper paddel (replacing my nylon stirring paddel)? By rotating this copper paddel through my solution for 24hrs or so, would not all my PMs drop out of solution?
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your read, Ed
I have some 200-300 mesh powder from electrical/industrial scrap. It's about the consistancy of wheat flour. I sent (3) 200 gram samples of this material to a State/EPA certified lab for PM analysis. The results were puzzeling. The three samples were taken from the same 40 kilo lot, well mixed and screened. I did some very slight concentration of two of the samples, the third was left as it was originally recovered. The three samples were labled "S"= straight-as originally recovered, "W"=washed, meaning pan washed to remove most of the lightest material and "M"=mganetic seperation (removal of as much Fe as possible) but not washed.
The Lab used the EPA 6010B method. (ICPA emissions spectrometry), here are the results in mg/kg (ppm).
"s" Ru 118, Rh 1.54, Pd 2.09, Os 30.1, (Ir 37300), Pt 63.7, Au 314, Ag 429
"M" Ru 317, Rh 40.3, Pd -, Os 90.8, (Ir 6870), Pt 146, Au 5830, Ag 212
"W" Ru 414, Rh -, Pd-, Os 131, (Ir 52100), Pt 108, Au 458, Ag 661
The numbers are totally crazy? Look at the Ir? Where did this sample come from and asteroid?
I am trying to determine how to process this material with out loosing the Ir (IF IT IS REAL) because that is where the money is.
I am considering the following halide leach method. (Under negative pressure.) Stating with approx. 90# of powder. (1) Place 5 gal of 32% HCL (at ambient temp) into a 20 gal plastic drum. Slowly sift and stir in the powder to form a mud/heavy slurry. This should neutralize any inorganics. (2) Add an additional 5 gal of 15% HCL continuing to stir (I would guestimate 1 hr or so) until all metalics have been contacted. (3) Slowly add 2 gal of NaOCL by drip (maybe 3-4 gph), continue stirring for another 3-4 hrs. (4) Decant mother liquor, (5) Rinse residue through course, medium and fine stacked filter screens to produce a clear liquid, (add this liquid to mother liquor). (6) Check gangue sludge for values/dispose.
AT THIS POINT, I could, nueteralize my leach with NaOH to precipitate all my base metals as hydroxides, BUT, that would take down my Ag also, which would cause another operation to recover.
QUESTION: Could I just cement all my "high velance" precious metals, (including Ag) by the use of a large perferated copper paddel (replacing my nylon stirring paddel)? By rotating this copper paddel through my solution for 24hrs or so, would not all my PMs drop out of solution?
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your read, Ed
