Processing of gold plate from electronics

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

So, after reading through the copy of Hoke that I printed, I came across the inquartation of gold where it is common to dilute the gold content down so you're at about 8ct. At which you can use just Sulphuric Acid (gently heated) to break down the metals so that only the gold will remain.

Would you say that this approach can also be used for the breakdown of any gold plated elements from electronics.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I read the various posts on here now, and it does seem people are jumping right in, getting into a mess because of watching a YouTube vid where someone did some recovery using nitric etc. instead of doing the reading. And hoped that this could potentially assist if they went with this method, as you won't be needing to "drop the gold from solution" as it will not go into solution?

Happy for any constructive comments here (or a slap down if I am way off target)?

Thanks

Rich

 

[Martijn]

It's great you want to contribute to new ways of thinking simplifying our lives, but I have to disappoint you in this one.

6 Carat is the target, not 8.

Inquartation suitable for gold plated: no, if you melt this together without the addition of other base metals, you will have an alloy of about 0,3% gold, in stead of 25% gold.

The base metals or silver in inquarted gold is usually digested with Nitric acid and distilled water.

After inquarting, which is a recovery process, you will still have to refine those values to pure gold, by dissolving the gold. so that will not work.

Should you use a copper sulfate cell, you will still have to refine the anode slimes, again dissolving the gold.

No easy way to avoid precipitation of gold in solutions, exept for this one: Don't refine the gold. Sell the scrap.

Martijn.

 

[Yggdrasil]

So, after reading through the copy of Hoke that I printed, I came across the inquartation of gold where it is common to dilute the gold content down so you're at about 8ct. At which you can use just Sulphuric Acid (gently heated) to break down the metals so that only the gold will remain.

Would you say that this approach can also be used for the breakdown of any gold plated elements from electronics.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I read the various posts on here now, and it does seem people are jumping right in, getting into a mess because of watching a YouTube vid where someone did some recovery using nitric etc. instead of doing the reading. And hoped that this could potentially assist if they went with this method, as you won't be needing to "drop the gold from solution" as it will not go into solution?

Happy for any constructive comments here (or a slap down if I am way off target)?

Thanks

Rich

Quite a lot of people becomes members after they have gotten into a pinch, and almost always after watching various youtube videos.
But unless you somehow concentrate the plating or what ever you have it will not be in a very suitable range.
Other option is the recover and refine the Copper and then get the Gold from the electrolytic slimes.

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

It's great you want to contribute to new ways of thinking simplifying our lives, but I have to disappoint you in this one.

6 Carat is the target, not 8.

Inquartation suitable for gold plated: no, if you melt this together without the addition of other base metals, you will have an alloy of about 0,3% gold, in stead of 25% gold.

The base metals or silver in inquarted gold is usually digested with Nitric acid and distilled water.

After inquarting, which is a recovery process, you will still have to refine those values to pure gold, by dissolving the gold. so that will not work.

Should you use a copper sulfate cell, you will still have to refine the anode slimes, again dissolving the gold.

No easy way to avoid precipitation of gold in solutions, exept for this one: Don't refine the gold. Sell the scrap.

Martijn.

Hi, yep, just re-read the couple of paragraphs again... 6ct. But it does say you can use sulphuric instead of nitric to remove the base metals.... And so I'm not saying follow the inquart section but more for the removal of the base metals. once all the base metals are in the solution, the plate should be visible as flakes? Probably not in a pure form as its not going to be 24ct plate on things like pins etc... So was thinking that this would at least be a start to the process instead of them that jump straight to the nitric?

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

Also I did say "slap me down" if I were wrong...

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

Quite a lot of people becomes members after they have gotten into a pinch, and almost always after watching various youtube videos.
But unless you somehow concentrate the plating or what ever you have it will not be in a very suitable range.
Other option is the recover and refine the Copper and then get the Gold from the electrolytic slimes.

Was thinking get the base metals out, store the remainder for processing once the amount is of a suitable size. I agree its a small percentage of the metal. Processing in batches to get all metals to the same state from different sources is probably the best way to deal, as at some point down the line each type of item processed will get to the same stage of processing, so better to have a big batch than a pinch of?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Was thinking get the base metals out, store the remainder for processing once the amount is of a suitable size. I agree its a small percentage of the metal. Processing in batches to get all metals to the same state from different sources is probably the best way to deal, as at some point down the line each type of item processed will get to the same stage of processing, so better to have a big batch than a pinch of?

The reason one use Nitric is that all other metals except Gold dissolves in Nitric.
So in theory one is left with only Gold as a solid.
And getting the Silver out of the Nitric is easy.

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

But getting the pieces down to just a lower amount of other metals is better in sulphuric first (to save on nitric as even Hoke says its more expensive to use nitric)

 

[Yggdrasil]

But getting the pieces down to just a lower amount of other metals is better in sulphuric first (to save on nitric as even Hoke says its more expensive to use nitric)

The problem is that Sulphuric will also dissolve Silver and it is harder to reclaim from Silver if I understand it correctly.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

So, after reading through the copy of Hoke that I printed, I came across the inquartation of gold where it is common to dilute the gold content down so you're at about 8ct. At which you can use just Sulphuric Acid (gently heated) to break down the metals so that only the gold will remain.

Would you say that this approach can also be used for the breakdown of any gold plated elements from electronics.

I wanted to come back to the first post. You first mention inquarting. That's a valuable process for dealing with karat gold items like jewelry. But then you ask if it would be an approach for gold plated electronics. The answer is No.

We inquart karat gold to reduce the gold content to 25%. This allows a nitric acid leach to dissolve nearly all the base metals, leaving nearly pure gold to be dissolved in AR.

But gold plating is already nearly pure gold. There are base metals underneath the plating, but there is no need to inquart the material. The base metals can simply be dissolved with nitric, leaving the gold plating as thin foils of nearly pure gold. You can also use sulfuric as a less expensive alternative, but to me, it is more hazardous than nitric.

If you melt gold plated material, you mix a tiny bit of gold into a large amount of base metal. When you leach with nitric or sulfuric, you won't see any visible gold left. You'll have a very fine powder left, which is much harder to wash.

Dave

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

I wanted to come back to the first post. You first mention inquarting. That's a valuable process for dealing with karat gold items like jewelry. But then you ask if it would be an approach for gold plated electronics. The answer is No.

We inquart karat gold to reduce the gold content to 25%. This allows a nitric acid leach to dissolve nearly all the base metals, leaving nearly pure gold to be dissolved in AR.

But gold plating is already nearly pure gold. There are base metals underneath the plating, but there is no need to inquart the material. The base metals can simply be dissolved with nitric, leaving the gold plating as thin foils of nearly pure gold. You can also use sulfuric as a less expensive alternative, but to me, it is more hazardous than nitric.

If you melt gold plated material, you mix a tiny bit of gold into a large amount of base metal. When you leach with nitric or sulfuric, you won't see any visible gold left. You'll have a very fine powder left, which is much harder to wash.

Dave

Thanks for that answer. The inquarting was just a curiosity as to if it would be of use. The rest is more " can you get the gold plate off without using nitric", ad I guess that answer is "yes" but caveated with "Its more dangerous that nitric" even if it is cheaper?

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Yes, but if you want a cheaper method of removing gold plate from electronics, the cupric chloride leach (often referred to as AP), is cheaper and much less dangerous.

Dave

 

[Shark]

I once kept a barrel with around 30 gallons of “AP” in it for boards that had decent gold plating. I don’t think I would want to keep that much working sulfuric around at one time. CuCl2 works wonders given proper time on plated boards.

 

[rickbb]

Yes, but if you want a cheaper method of removing gold plate from electronics, the cupric chloride leach (often referred to as AP), is cheaper and much less dangerous.

Dave

Came here to say this, use the “AP’ process on e-scrap. It’s the simplest, easiest and cheapest way to get nearly pure gold from plated electronic parts.

 

[billgold]

You can often find CuCl2 at electronics parts stores - for etching printed circuit boards. It is meant for clean copper , but with enough time it will undercut the resist and gold plating on the traces.

It is also a fairly benign solution compared to the usual acids.

 

[Yggdrasil]

You can often find CuCl2 at electronics parts stores - for etching printed circuit boards. It is meant for clean copper , but with enough time it will undercut the resist and gold plating on the traces.

It is also a fairly benign solution compared to the usual acids.

You do not need to buy Cupric Chloride.
Just add a bit of Copper in HCl and start bubbling air through it.
When it has become green, fish out the Copper and put in the PCBs or what you want to etch.

Edit for spelling

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

You do not need to buy Cupric Chloride.
Just add a bit of Copper in HCl and start bubbling air through it.
When it has become green, fish out the Copper and put in the PCBs or what yop want to etch.

How pure would you need to have the HCl at? Most here in the UK is of low strength, as its a "restricted" chemical over a certain strength.

 

[Yggdrasil]

How pure would you need to have the HCl at? Most here in the UK is of low strength, as its a "restricted" chemical over a certain strength.

What concentration do you have access to?
I have never heard of restrictions on HCl, not much bad you can use that for, as far as I know.

 

[Sancho_n_Pedro]

Its usually in the form of Patio cleaner. Anything thats neat (no added chemicals) then you need to get a special certificate. Crazy laws here in the UK. You can't even go buy battery acid without said certificate.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Its usually in the form of Patio cleaner. Anything thats neat (no added chemicals) then you need to get a special certificate. Crazy laws here in the UK. You can't even go buy battery acid without said certificate.

First time I've heard complaints regarding HCl, Nitric on the other hand is notoriously hard many places.
We have many UK members so this is strange.