RENAMED : TOADIES FIRST CELL

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Steve, the tripplite power supply I was talking about is not a UPS.

It's just a heavy duty power supply, favored amonst HAM radio operators apparently.

4279449.jpg


http://www.bestwebbuys.com/electronics/Tripp_Lite_PR_40_Power_converter-4279449.html?isrc=e-search


So if I understood you, this will be okay to use as long as the positive wire coming from the back of the power supply to the anode is larger than the wire I placed between the alligator clips??

Thanks again.
 
Thanks for that Steve. I just went through my pile of comps and found an AT Power supply. It's 12 volts @ 7.5 amps. I'm gonna start with that before I bring in the big guns. :lol:

I'm getting closer!

cell002yp7.jpg


cell001pl7.jpg
 
IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

My cathode started reacting without any current though. Thoughts?

When I dipped a high grade CPU plate into it, both started foaming like crazy and the foam from the plate was well, golden color. :lol:

Here's what it looks like after 3 plates were dipped.



cell003sh3.jpg


wooo hooo!!
 
First things first, disconnect the positive lead and remove the foil to see if the reaction continues without the power supply hooked up. If so then you have something in your cathode and/or the drain opener that are reacting with each other.
If the reaction stops after removing the anode, then may you have juice going to the system even when the switch is off. Break out your volt meter and check the voltage across the anode and cathode with the power switch off. Check both DC and AC volts. You may have floating ground.

Steve
 
Steve, it started reacting without the power hooked up. Right when I dropped it in the acid.

Is that a problem? Will it make me not be able to recover the gold. Could the fumes be hazardous?

Everything I put in seems to deplate perfectly, but the foam became almost 1/4 inch think (and black). The Sulfuric Acid itself seemed very thick right out of the bottle. I'm just going to run it for a few days and see what happens.

I think I may have to dilute it like goldsilverpro mentioned. Or maybe it's like you said, theres something else in my lead???

I have to work now until 10 pm, but I await any info.

Thanks again guys.
 
If you used standard lead fishing weights you probably have some sort of chemical in the acid. What other ingredients are in the acid?

Steve
 
Yes, I just used standard lead weights. Do this think this reaction could be bad? (vapors?)

Probably hard to tell huh? I'm well ventilated so I'm not too worried.

The MSDS on the drain cleaner doens't state any other chemicals. It does say "Virgin Sufuric Acid with Buffers"

Buffers?

What do you think my next step should be?
 
Ah-Ha - Buffers!

Usually, buffers are used to confine the pH range. With the pH of concentrated sulfuric at zero, this use of this type buffer would be worthless. At least, I can't see how it would be possible or necessary. They must be defining the word "buffer" differently. Maybe, buffers that reduce the attack on certain materials in the drain system, although these types of additives are usually called inhibitors. Maybe, you could contact the mfgr. and ask what the buffers are, or at least, what function they perform.

All in all, according to the list of ingredients, something else has been added.

Even though it's working strangely, it may work fine for stripping purposes.
 
Thanks goldsilverpro. I'll look into it a little more, but it does seem to be working great for stripping purposes. Well, from my perspective anyways, being my first cell and all. Everything is going right down to nickel nice and clean within a few seconds.

I guess I'll see. I'm just de-plating so much random stuff right now that I'll never know if I'm working at 100% efficiency.

I've been collecting this scrap for almost a year now and I've paid nothing for it. It makes it a little easier to experiment. :D

The cell was first and that's done. I've ordered a few pounds each of sodium nitrate, meta and urea. I also bought 22k testing solution and a gram scale.

Now I can attack the CPUs and fingers I have. And I'll have AR to refine whatever I get from the cell.

good times
 
With a fresh solution, as long as the amps go to zero when the gold is completely stripped, I think it's OK. The reason the amps go to zero is that the anode generates oxygen, which oxidizes the layer under the gold (nickel, copper, etc.) and actually makes the surface of the anode non-conductive. It essentially becomes non-metallic. Gold doesn't oxidize and therefore dissolves, at least momentarily. If you continue getting amperage after stripping, the additives are preventing the formation of the oxide coating. This could dissolve the nickel or copper and give the solution a short life.
 
Thanks pro, but I'm using a PC power supply so I don't have the amperage meter.

Like I said though it seems to be working alright, I'll probably just have more steps by the time I get to the AR process.

What do you guys think about plated jewelry? I went to my local thrift store and bought a few earings, necklaces, bracelets, ect. I spent 3 dollars not knowing if they were really plated or just costume jewelery.

Every single one reacted, so i went back and bought close to a pound of the stuff for $12. Only 2 pieces wont react. Have any of you had any luck on this thrift store jewelery? Some of it took some time to deplate.





cell006lz0.jpg
 
It's hit and miss with the plated jewelry. Usually miss for the yield versus weight unless you pay next to nothing for the scrap. There are exceptions to this of course.
 
One time I ran a couple of 30 gallon drums of cheap plated Swank costume jewelry, rejected from their plating facility. We bought it for a song, probably scrap copper price, and got an amazing amount of gold out of it.

Most gold on costume jewelry is only about 10 millionths of an inch thick - about $.07 per square inch of surface area, at today's prices. If you see costume jewelry stamped Karatclad, it will be at least 100 millionths thick - $.70/sq". Other good stuff is marked HGE - heavy gold electroplate.

The only thing that looks like gold is gold. Compare stuff side by side. Sometimes, the object is coated with lacquer. If so, you might not have made good contact. If the unstrippable items look like gold, you might try putting them through a paint stripper and then retry them. Many clear coatings will get chewed up by the sulfuric and could contaminate it. I would check the items first, by lightly scraping an area and looking at the scraped area with an eye loupe.
 
Lazersteve,

You would have to identify the button and manufacturer. Some of the old military buttons are 1/20 12 kt, some rolled gold and some plated.

The Waterbury button co. in Connecticut comes to mind.

Some are marked Waterbury and some are marked W B Co. I think that might help in dating the time when they are made.

If I remember correctly the different buttons were made for different ranks and styles of uniform. My Dads Dress Tux for Air Force Formals(retired Lt.Col.) has Karat value buttons but I can't remember how they were marked. heh heh !!! He saw me eyeballing his Tux and took it away from me.

I am also sure that you can fin gold in the braiding in Military Caps and Hats.
Gold in the braiding in Military Insignia and shoulder bars.

Steve K
 
Thanks guys... A lot of the large necklaces I've been finding are from Avon. I don't know it that's good or bad but they seem to take longer to de-plate from everything else.
 
also, how can I tell if what is de-plating is really gold??? It reacts exactly the same in the acid as CPU plates and pins do. I know goldsilver pro said "the only thing that looks like gold is gold" but...

will other materials (that kind-of like gold) deplate? I have some large "lapel pins" that I get for 50 cents to a dollar. I know the plating, if any isn't much but I guess what I'm trying to say is:

Is there any other substance that could be used on these pieces that would react in the cell? Could I be contaminating my cell to the point where I can't use AR to refine?

Regarding the earring on the right, I processed the other one and it took FOREVER to deplate, close to minute, and I had to "swish" it around in the acid a few times. It turned reddish-orange by the time it was almost done.

any thoughts?



platedvo8.jpg
 

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