MMFJ
Well-known member
We have a large photo processor system with several 1 gal tanks which hold the various chemicals needed. The unit has a computer and tons of valves with inter-connecting hoses.
My question is - does anyone have any experience with the chemicals involved?
And (most importantly), what is the likelihood of PM in the tanks?
I got a testing kit and have been practicing identifying gold and silver (have read Hoke, the boards, etc., yet not yet ready to go full scale with large bottles of acid - even with the small drops, we had a very surprising reaction with just TWO DROPS...) and two of the gallon tanks tested 'positive' for silver.
Reading up on the processing of film, it looks like the stages before 'fixing' are the most likely location and that is just where the tanks showed signs - in one called "pre-bleach" and then in the "bleach" tank (though not as prevalent, as would be expected).
![IMG_20110808_162451[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/goldrefiningforum/data/attachments/6/6027-14b483a6ac95efcdf177d95a4b62e23c.jpg "IMG_20110808_162451[1].jpg")
![IMG_20110808_162325[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/goldrefiningforum/data/attachments/6/6028-61df87a099107e634fc9be0c82666042.jpg "IMG_20110808_162325[1].jpg")
![IMG_20110808_162335[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/goldrefiningforum/data/attachments/6/6029-81c4986301261fa56b8d1d2fa300d038.jpg "IMG_20110808_162335[1].jpg")
This processor has been sitting for years - we got it from a gov't auction nearly two years ago and who knows how long it sat before that. We are ready to scrap it out, but thought about the possible silver recovery.
If is really is likely this is silver, do you have any suggestions on getting it out (other than Hoke VIII)? For now, just liquifying it and holding it (with few/no heavy chemicals) is preferred as we don't have a place to work them, yet.
The stuff is way down in the tank and hard to tell much, other than the test acid did turn/stay red (indicating silver, we believe). Several tanks are tied together and will all have to come out at once, so it is a bit of a job to do and if it isn't likely to have/be silver in there, we might as well just toss the whole unit (way too much work to take out all those hoses and valves (not too many people buy used valves...).
Thanks for all your comments (even the newbie-basher ones!
My question is - does anyone have any experience with the chemicals involved?
And (most importantly), what is the likelihood of PM in the tanks?
I got a testing kit and have been practicing identifying gold and silver (have read Hoke, the boards, etc., yet not yet ready to go full scale with large bottles of acid - even with the small drops, we had a very surprising reaction with just TWO DROPS...) and two of the gallon tanks tested 'positive' for silver.
Reading up on the processing of film, it looks like the stages before 'fixing' are the most likely location and that is just where the tanks showed signs - in one called "pre-bleach" and then in the "bleach" tank (though not as prevalent, as would be expected).
This processor has been sitting for years - we got it from a gov't auction nearly two years ago and who knows how long it sat before that. We are ready to scrap it out, but thought about the possible silver recovery.
If is really is likely this is silver, do you have any suggestions on getting it out (other than Hoke VIII)? For now, just liquifying it and holding it (with few/no heavy chemicals) is preferred as we don't have a place to work them, yet.
The stuff is way down in the tank and hard to tell much, other than the test acid did turn/stay red (indicating silver, we believe). Several tanks are tied together and will all have to come out at once, so it is a bit of a job to do and if it isn't likely to have/be silver in there, we might as well just toss the whole unit (way too much work to take out all those hoses and valves (not too many people buy used valves...).
Thanks for all your comments (even the newbie-basher ones!
