Sweet! lol, well at least I have all the tin I could ever need =P the tin must be what looked like lead to me when I clipped the jewelry open? was a metalic grey color easy to cut through after the outer shell. The gold metal on the outside flaked off the outside pretty easy as well after I clipped it.
Use that as a clue next time. (I'm sure you would have anyways, without me mentioning it!) Sure, the soft metal could have been silver, but 'the gold flaking off instead of being a solid shell.' -That is a dead giveaway. However, I should mention, that goldfill can be worn very very thin, and itself(gold layer) does get worn thin to the point of it being nothing but flakes (after dissolve, though)
Thank you for being so awesome Topher!
Alright, when I get home I'll filter (im thinking I'll syphon and filter all of the emerald solution off of the top to get mostly "tin free" solution and also all of the floating at least gold colored metal out before filtering the tin sludge, grab the low hanging fruit so to speak.)
I, personally, would keep,it all together. Instead of making one process into two (which in turn would end up being like ten...after processing the small flakes, the other stuff would get done to a point where you are running the same processes, and in the end,
the waste is doubled up -maybe even tripled)
Then after filtering, rinse the solids with distilled water, and let dry. Would drying them in the coffee filters in a large bowl crucible in a kiln be advisable to speed up the process? maybe 200F? or just dry them in a pyrex dish on a hot plate? (I have sand in the hot plate to disperse the heat to avoid cracking, seems to work well even when dry.)
Well, yes filters are good and bad in this case, one they will help speed up the drying process, but 2, after they are burnt the carbon can/will reduce some metal salts. This could reduce your tin back to metal, in this case, we are wanting to oxidize the tin.I would say having the filters would not do much harm, as the tin will oxidize anyways (with good stirring and access to air).
You should slowly dry the mess though, once most of the moisture is gone, slowly start raising the heat, it will eventually turn into a syrupy mess, then start to dry out again. Just keep stirring it throughout the process and eventually bring it to red heat with stirring. I would opt for a torch instead of kiln though. Butcher explains the incineration process MUCH better than me. Do a search for "incineration" with "butcher" as the author [omit the quotations]
Does the torch matter? I have Oxy & acetylene, oxy & propane, just propane and MAPP torches, not sure how fine the solids will be and if one torch might get too hot and melt instead of heat or may blow the solids away (and I have made enough mistakes so I thought I'd ask =P)
I would go for whichever one has the most timid flame. When Im drying and roasting tin sludge, most of the work is done by my hotplate, only finishing up the process do I use my torch.
And then throw it all into a pyrex container with HCL (should I dilute the HCL with distilled? and if so how diluted? or do I want to avoid water and oxygenating the HCL?)
I use full strength 30%, but that doesn't mean I'm right, or that is the only strength that can be used.
PS. Topher, I have had many professional lives, Electrical engineer, IT architect, Vet tech, Network engineer and even a mechanic... I can and will learn as quickly as I can, since I have found this forum I have been reading chunks everyday, I hope to become an asset to this forum eventually instead of a burden.
Just paying it forward best I can. This forum and its members are a godsend.
And I sincerely want to thank you for your patience, positive attitude, knowledge and experience! Thank you good sir! If you need any IT, Electrical, Mechanical or Animal advice =P let me know!
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