Non-Chemical Precip. gold,drop cu, neut. acid to drop everything else?

[austexjwlry]

Does anyone bother to do this? I've heard it works. Might make disposing of effluent easier on green minded people.The alum.,tin, chrome
etc. etc. might have value over time.

Is just adding ammonia to AR, or nitric solutions etc. the best way?

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[goldsilverpro]

This used to be a common way to get the metals out of the acid and neutralize it at the same time. The problem is that the resulting metal hydroxides or metal carbonates are considered, by the EPA, just as hazardous as the solution was. Also, they are very voluminous. If you have a lot of metals in the solution, the volume of hydroxides or carbonates could equal the solution volume you started with. Nickel hydroxide will feel dry, crumble in your hand, and still contain 75% water. I did invent a filter that compressed the hydroxides pretty well but I still don't use this method. It doesn't gain you anything.

I would use aluminum or, maybe, iron to drop the metals, depending on what metals you are dealing with. After filtering and/or pouring off, you THEN neutralize the acid. Look for posts by Harold or Lazersteve on the subject. In this method, you end up with metal powders. If you filter, rinse, and dry them well enough, I can't see how they would be considered hazardous. They're metal. I think Harold wrote about accumulating this metal powder scrap.

 

[goldsilverpro]

Guess I didn't read your post very well before I answered. After dropping out all metals with aluminum, neutralize the acid with sodium hydroxide (lye) or sodium carbonate (washing soda). There are other things you could use but I don't think I would use ammonia.

 

[austexjwlry]

I'm currently trying to compost a honda & nisson through the use of evaporation tanks(buckets) in them.
I'm wondering if the bace metals in oxide state would work for a sort of grancrete building material. They use iron oxide , add potassium fertilizer from feed store,hardens fast,stronger than steel. Any metal oxide should work.
I"m going to try plating tech., to separate the bace metals.I work with a jewelry making tech,. called mokume gane its nickle silver. copper, fine/sterling combinitions mostly. You can use almost any combo. of metals.I learned from a book by Steve Midgett.
I pay about $20. to $24. a lb for sheet & wire from rio grande.My alloys do'nt have to be pure. Life is great!

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[austexjwlry]

Has anyone tried to reclaim their acids through the use of mercury retort type setup or pyrex alcohol distillation still type setup?I'm trying to make one. As a glass blower pryex tubing is easy to bend in oxy/propane flame to make stack for still.Then use acid resistant tubing for cooling coils.The hard part is drilling a hole in my pyrex pan lid for the tube to fit in..I've ordered a diamond core drill from diamond pacific.I have"nt come up with the best sealing metirial yet.
Guess I'm lucky the city of austin hazardous waste material recycling center will take old batteries,roach spray,house paint etc. no questions asked to keep them out on landfill.

Wayne