Just started a smelting trial with a 100 gram powder sample (with 200 grams flux) of 1.5% gold by weight derived from incinerated BGA chips. The problem is I’m getting no gold button (or any metal) at the bottom of the inverted cone mold.
We pyrolyzed and then incinerated the chips in the same device as we’re now smelting, and the temperature hits 1100C. Is it possible the gold (and silver) were lost to vaporization, or could they have melted and bonded to the copper heat sinks? Any other ideas?
I realize we should only heat to 800C maximum in the future…
Thanks forum.
We pyrolyzed and then incinerated the chips in the same device as we’re now smelting, and the temperature hits 1100C. Is it possible the gold (and silver) were lost to vaporization, or could they have melted and bonded to the copper heat sinks? Any other ideas?
I realize we should only heat to 800C maximum in the future…
Thanks forum.