Question on filled transistors

[macfixer01]

Hi,
I recently got a batch of old NCR boards, mostly from an early 1960's computer model 315 and some from it's peripherals. The transistors seem to all have gold plating internally, even those with no gold tab or bottom. The weird thing though is they all seem to be filled inside, and I'm wondering how that will affect the gold recovery? Most are filled with what looks like a typical messy white silicone heatsink compound, and some are filled with a translucent substance, apparently silicone grease. In either case I'm thinking that would insulate the metal from the acid, and probably just make a big unrecoverable mess? I doubt the stuff is soluble so I assume these would all need to be incinerated first? If that's the case I'd rather just sell them on Ebay since I'm not set up for incinerating anything. Your opinions please?

The black Philco transistors you can see better in the detail photo are interesting. Besides them being an odd UFO shape with a seam around the middle, some have the whole case plated with gold underneath the black paint.

macfixer01

 

[golddigger69]

This might work: Snip the top open or partally open with side cutter plyers, place in boiling water to remove oily-greasy substance.

 

[dtectr]

This might work: Snip the top open or partally open with side cutter plyers, place in boiling water to remove oily-greasy substance.

or boiling lye solution, as per Hoke? I haven't tried this yet - I'm hoping someone will guinea pig for me I have quite a few flatpacks, pros, & etc. with heatsink compound on them - I don't see how scrubbing each with alcohol is time/cost effective, or even effective :?

 

[element47]

Boy, those are old boards. I think those transistors are going to prove to be tough for you to open up. Maybe against a grinding wheel you can carve off the tops.

 

[macfixer01]

Boy, those are old boards. I think those transistors are going to prove to be tough for you to open up. Maybe against a grinding wheel you can carve off the tops.

Yeah they're some real old-school Resistor Transistor Logic boards. Early solid state electronics, after tubes but before there were integrated circuits. The more I think about it those transistors may not be worth my efforts considering the hassle of opening them too. I was hoping someone here had actual experience working with similar parts, but I guess I'll probably just put them on Ebay once I strip the rest of them off the boards. If someone were to incinerate them I think the pressure would pop them partially open as well, but they'd need to be heated in something substantial that could stand up to the pounding. I had considered solvents or boiling but any residue would probably make the recovery that much more difficult. I've heard any greasy surface is a big liability while handling gold or even gold panning for example, because the gold wants to stick to it?

macfixer01