Stripping PtNiCo from hard disk platters

[Chumbawamba]

I was perusing the web and came across this interesting response to a question at finishing.com (a Q&A site for those who work in the electroplating industry apparently):

If you want to remove the nickel from hard drive disks you cut the disks up into 1/4 inch strips and soak it in HCl or muriatic acid this will dissolve all the aluminum base metal and all you are left with is the nickel platinum cobalt alloy thin film. I do this all the time and sell the foil on ebay as a platinum alloy. there is a fast reaction at first it takes about a week for me to dissolve 60 disks at once I hope this helps.

The URL where the comment appeared is here:

http://www.finishing.com/375/69.shtml

Seems like a pretty straight-forward process. Has anyone tried anything like this?

 

[Barren Realms 007]

I was perusing the web and came across this interesting response to a question at finishing.com (a Q&A site for those who work in the electroplating industry apparently):

If you want to remove the nickel from hard drive disks you cut the disks up into 1/4 inch strips and soak it in HCl or muriatic acid this will dissolve all the aluminum base metal and all you are left with is the nickel platinum cobalt alloy thin film. I do this all the time and sell the foil on ebay as a platinum alloy. there is a fast reaction at first it takes about a week for me to dissolve 60 disks at once I hope this helps.

The URL where the comment appeared is here:

http://www.finishing.com/375/69.shtml

Seems like a pretty straight-forward process. Has anyone tried anything like this?

I have done a couple of small things with used AP on some. The size he sayd is about right. You have to scratch the top coat or cut it up for the solution to react and leave the foils. But I like the tought of the platinum alloy sales on ebay, I wonder what he got for the sale?