Should these pins be processed differently or separately?

[Rmwatson78]

I have 18lbs of gold plated connector pins but the majority of them are two toned in color. Should they be processed differently or separately from the pins that appear to be completely plated in gold?

 

[kernels]

With that quantity of pins, processing them with acids will take a long time, cost a fortune and create drums of waste that you will have to deal with.

The answer seems to be to use a sulfuric cell, in which case you can just process everything together.

I'm not at the sulfuric cell level yet, so hopefully someone will be around soon to guide you a bit further.

 

[nickvc]

If it were me I think the first task would be to determine are they all the same and what the base metals are.
As pointed out dissolution by any method is going to create a lot of waste solutions so the ideal would be to strip the gold selectively, the sulphuric cell would work but your going to be doing those for a very long time unless you can scale it up and probably add a motorised tumbler.
GSP might have some ideas as I'm sure he ran tons of this sort of material, and I remember seeing just such a cell many years ago here on the forum or by an ex forum member, maybe search YouTube for the design.

 

[Barren Realms 007]

I would run a sample of each kind in poor mans AR and get an idea of their make up and yield and proceed from there.

 

[Justincase]

I leave my magnetic plated items in a covered bucket of water out side for a minimum of six months and up to a year for some as they are more corrosion resistant.
finally a useful job for Rust. Then agitate so all the heavy elements drop to the bottom of the bucket and use a magnet to pull out the remainder of the pins off the top.
I have the same bucket I have used for two years, just pull the rusted pins' off the top once you have shaken for a good while to ware off any plating still holding on. and top up with fresh pins.
Digesting a mix of oxides and value saves a lot of acid.

 

[upcyclist]

Cyanide is another option. Be wary, know what you're getting into, and tread carefully, but it's an option.

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

Maybe Patnor would comment about his thoughts of running these with the eco-goldex method.

From what I have read on that thread, and about CN leeches here on the forum, that may be your only other viable option (besides sulfuric cell)

 

[g_axelsson]

This is probably what people are melting down and selling as "gold drops" on ebay.

8)

Göran

 

[Justincase]

This is probably what people are melting down and selling as "gold drops" on ebay.

8)

Göran

Not by them self's.
from the returns, I would say they are throwing a good deal of old plumbing into the melt as well.

 

[patnor1011]

Bag like that can be easily done with eco-goldex leach in about a day.

 

[kernels]

This is probably what people are melting down and selling as "gold drops" on ebay.

8)

Göran

Not by them self's.
from the returns, I would say they are throwing a good deal of old plumbing into the melt as well.

LOL! :lol:

 

[Justincase]

Bag like that can be easily done with eco-goldex leach in about a day.

Going to get Hydrogen Cyanide Detector before bring that into my work space.
Just In Case
http://www.raesystems.com/products/toxirae-ii

 

[upcyclist]

Bag like that can be easily done with eco-goldex leach in about a day.

Going to get Hydrogen Cyanide Detector before bring that into my work space.
Just In Case
http://www.raesystems.com/products/toxirae-ii

Or perhaps one of these?

Caveats: That was a joke. No fowl were harmed in the production of this message.

 

[Justincase]

tried it.
The poor thing did not seem to like the hot work.
But as I had brought it to the point of drowning it in brandy before hand made the most of the situation.
covering my head with a large napkin. Tradition dictates that this is to shield – from God’s eyes – the shame of such a decadent and disgraceful act.
Poor tweedy bird :lol:

 

[MrCrusher]

That is just too funny