Rolled/Plated Gold alternate to Hokes process to save Nitric

[liquidauction]

I've read Hokes book and her process for rolled/plated gold is to put drops of HCL on soldered spots and then soak in Nitric to dissolve most metals. We started with 85g of cheap scrap and have used 1/2 gallon Nitric. The metals are broken down by about 1/4 and will still react with new nitric. We were thinking of a way to alter this process and wanted to know what your thoughts are.

Now that there is a lot of breakdown by Nitric, could that have unlocked enough base metals to run through a HCL bath to break down some of the copper and easier to consume metals?
I know this sound like working in reverse but these are old pocket watch's (very dense thick pieces) and seem to have a ton of copper in them that is eating all the of our nitric.

After we run through HCL for a time we would then go back to Nitric and proceed with Hokes process.

Any shared thoughts are welcome.

Thank you!

 

[Anonymous]

her process for rolled/plated gold is to put drops of HCL on soldered spots and then soak in Nitric to dissolve most metals.

Are you incinerating between each of your steps? If not,you are most likely losing a lot of gold.

 

[Barren Realms 007]

Are you heating your 50/50 diluted nitric solution? You sould only have about 700ml of solution maybe a touch more to dissolve te 85g.

 

[liquidauction]

I'm sorry!! I put 85g.....85ozt

 

[Barren Realms 007]

85g the 1/2 gal would be too muc solution. 85 ozT 1/2 gal would be way too small of an amount. You still ave a lot of base metals to remove from the material. A few small lots of similar materials is better tan one large lot of very different materials.

 

[liquidauction]

I'm sorry!! I put 85g.....85ozt

I've got 85ozt

 

[Anonymous]

I've got 85ozt

Not possible.Even "broken down by 1/4" like you said in the first post,it is not possible.That would be over 21 ounces.

 

[lazersteve]

I've processed 100+ ozT batches of old clam shell style pocket watches many times with Modified Poorman's AR. Patience is a virture and persistance pays off in the end. You can not rush this process and frequent cycling of the solvent is required. Test each cycle for gold before properly neutralizing and discarding.

Follow my directions to a T and everything will be smooth sailing.

If you mix them with other gold filled items (not recommended) I suggest you stick with 35% nitric acid and collect the silver from your solutions as FOB chains and other GF items are very likely to contain silver which will form chlorides with the modified poorman's AR.

Steve

 

[NobleMetalWorks]

Now that there is a lot of breakdown by Nitric, could that have unlocked enough base metals to run through a HCL bath to break down some of the copper and easier to consume metals?

I just wanted to mention in case anyone reads this and tries it, that if you are trying to recover gold and switching between Nitric Acid and HCl you must wash your material really well after the Nitric bath, and maybe even incinerate, between the Nitric and HCL baths. The reason is obvious I hope, any small amount of Nitric you move with the material into HCl will make small quantities of AR which will dissolve gold, if you are not doing things correctly, and since you are not expecting any gold, you may be loosing values when you rid yourself of the waste solution.

 

[liquidauction]

I've processed 100+ ozT batches of old clam shell style pocket watches many times with Modified Poorman's AR. Patience is a virture and persistance pays off in the end. You can not rush this process and frequent cycling of the solvent is required. Test each cycle for gold before properly neutralizing and discarding.

Follow my directions to a T and everything will be smooth sailing.

If you mix them with other gold filled items (not recommended) I suggest you stick with 35% nitric acid and collect the silver from your solutions as FOB chains and other GF items are very likely to contain silver which will form chlorides with the modified poorman's AR.

Steve

Thanks Steve! We are doing exactly as you say at the moment. Doing small batches of Nitric and saving solution for silver recovery. I'll post pictures once I get it more consolidated.

Again, thanks all!