Rao: The pictures of the processes are beautiful. And the palladium sand dropped with formate is what I've always aspired to get.
Can you see the pros and cons of just applying the sodium formate to the initial dark solution? (I understand you apply the formic acid first and then the sodium hidroxide).
I'm guessing that you are reaching for higher purity, as it purports in the books and pamphlets. The books sometimes deceive, and the pamphlets more. Try a small experiment and be amazed. Two iterations of what I've just written, and no need for ammonia, etc, handling of poisonous salts, etc, etc, etc.
In other words drop the metal from initial concentrated solution using sodium formate at pH little less than 7, temperature little less than 100 degC, wash the precipitate with DI water, re-dissolve with HCl-Cl2 or other method that avoids de-noxxing, filter (little to filter), drop again with formate, wash sponge with water. Only two beakers needed, and no handling of solid salts. 999, and sometimes 9999 product. Leave the ammonia and its salts for someone else. For ultimate purity, with a lot of work, DMG instead of second formate drop, washing the DMG compound (cumbersome), and conversion of same with... sodium formate, again.
edit: Of course I'm assuming there is no gold or platinum in your initial liquid.
edit2: Also I'm assuming that the initial solution is brought to around pH 6 and filtered, before the first formate drop.