Tiny specks of gold rather then gold foils.

[lokiie1984]

Hello
I know you guys prefer it if new members use the search function to answer questions, which i try to do but in this case I'm just not finding anything helpful. So here is what i have been doing: I have a small jar with a little hydrochloric acid and smaller amount of peroxide. It should be close to 3 to 1 ratio. As a test i put a couple pieces of gold filled and plated jewelry inside. At first it was stripping the gold off pretty well and just leaving behind a copper mass or at least what i assume is copper. However, that's not the issue I'm having trouble with.

The problem I'm having is that the gold is coming off as tiny flakes that never seem to settle. I don't mean they float on top, but rather they float below the surface of the acid. So far the only way i have been able to collect these tiny flakes is with a coffee filter but then they are stuck in the filter. I have heard of some people burning the filters to get their gold out but i don't know if that would be very practical with what i have, seems like they would just be carried away with the ash.

Now i do plan to pick up some nitric acid here on payday, would it work to save up my filters and then toss the whole bunch into some AR? Also if anyone knows why the gold is flaking off so small i would be interested to know why. If i were to use nitric to dissolve everything but the gold would it still flake off that way?

Thanks

 

[goldsilverpro]

Hello
I know you guys prefer it if new members use the search function to answer questions, which i try to do but in this case I'm just not finding anything helpful. So here is what i have been doing: I have a small jar with a little hydrochloric acid and smaller amount of peroxide. It should be close to 3 to 1 ratio. As a test i put a couple pieces of gold filled and plated jewelry inside. At first it was stripping the gold off pretty well and just leaving behind a copper mass or at least what i assume is copper. However, that's not the issue I'm having trouble with.

The problem I'm having is that the gold is coming off as tiny flakes that never seem to settle. I don't mean they float on top, but rather they float below the surface of the acid. So far the only way i have been able to collect these tiny flakes is with a coffee filter but then they are stuck in the filter. I have heard of some people burning the filters to get their gold out but i don't know if that would be very practical with what i have, seems like they would just be carried away with the ash.

Now i do plan to pick up some nitric acid here on payday, would it work to save up my filters and then toss the whole bunch into some AR? Also if anyone knows why the gold is flaking off so small i would be interested to know why. If i were to use nitric to dissolve everything but the gold would it still flake off that way?

Thanks

Gold plating on cheap jewelry is usually the thinnest gold you will find anywhere. In general, the thinner it is, the smaller the flakes. They're not even heavy enough to sink. They will filter, however.

 

[Pantherlikher]

Gold filled is done a different way as I understand it.
The cheap plated is just that, cheap.
Don't waste chemicals on them but you could put it in the waste stream.
Spent acids go into a crock pot with cheap plate. The acid dissolves base metals while dropping any gold.

B.S.
... I learned this the hard and expensive way...

 

[lokiie1984]

Ok, that makes sense. In the future i plan to just use nitric acid to dissolve the base metal and leave the gold behind.

Another question i have but cant seem to find anything on, is i have a jar with some gold solution (yellow liquid) however its been contaminated by some copper solution. The thing is the yellow liquid has settled onto the bottom, while the green copper solution is sitting on top of it. It's quite interesting to look at, and if you wiggle the jar a bit you can see the waves as the two liquids move against each other. While it is pretty neat to see, I'm curious if i will still be able to drop the gold with SMB?

Both liquids were made with hcl/bleach. As of yet i haven't heated the jar to remove any extra oxidizer, figured i would try that tomorrow when it warms up outside.

Gold filled is done a different way as I understand it.
The cheap plated is just that, cheap.
Don't waste chemicals on them but you could put it in the waste stream.
Spent acids go into a crock pot with cheap plate. The acid dissolves base metals while dropping any gold.

B.S.
... I learned this the hard and expensive way...

So far it looks like most of the jewelry was plated, however some was filled. Either way for me i can get the hcl and peroxide cheap enough that as long as I'm having fun i don't consider it a waste. As for gold, i don't expect much out of it.

Your idea of a crock pot with spent acids is a nice idea though. I have a bit of spent acid i could use.

 

[Tub Buster]

The problem I'm having is that the gold is coming off as tiny flakes that never seem to settle. I don't mean they float on top, but rather they float below the surface of the acid.

Neutralize the acid, dry it out, wash with alcohol.

 

[stardust18]

Hello
I know you guys prefer it if new members use the search function to answer questions, which i try to do but in this case I'm just not finding anything helpful. So here is what i have been doing: I have a small jar with a little hydrochloric acid and smaller amount of peroxide. It should be close to 3 to 1 ratio. As a test i put a couple pieces of gold filled and plated jewelry inside. At first it was stripping the gold off pretty well and just leaving behind a copper mass or at least what i assume is copper. However, that's not the issue I'm having trouble with.

The problem I'm having is that the gold is coming off as tiny flakes that never seem to settle. I don't mean they float on top, but rather they float below the surface of the acid. So far the only way i have been able to collect these tiny flakes is with a coffee filter but then they are stuck in the filter. I have heard of some people burning the filters to get their gold out but i don't know if that would be very practical with what i have, seems like they would just be carried away with the ash.

Now i do plan to pick up some nitric acid here on payday, would it work to save up my filters and then toss the whole bunch into some AR? Also if anyone knows why the gold is flaking off so small i would be interested to know why. If i were to use nitric to dissolve everything but the gold would it still flake off that way?

Thanks

Gold plating on cheap jewelry is usually the thinnest gold you will find anywhere. In general, the thinner it is, the smaller the flakes. They're not even heavy enough to sink. They will filter, however.

Hello everyone. Quite right word, but there is another factor that has a big impact. The more active a reaction - the more eager of the coating film. Thin coating should be applied slowly dissolving working methods, such as hydrochloric acid and Clorox.

 

[Pantherlikher]

What I've been kicking around for thin plating is to watch it soak in HCL + Bleach untill visible gold is gone. Then remove bulky base metal and drop gold. Of course this would be dirty and needing refinning but might be a way to get gold out.

B.S.

 

[yar]

What I've been kicking around for thin plating is to watch it soak in HCL + Bleach untill visible gold is gone. Then remove bulky base metal and drop gold. Of course this would be dirty and needing refinning but might be a way to get gold out.

B.S.

I had the same thought for pins. Do you think using a cheesecloth type of bag would work? Possibly an anode type bag that is used in a silver cell? Put the pins in let the hcl/cl work and then remove bag and rinse into the auric chloride.

 

[g_axelsson]

How do you think that would work? Dissolving only gold but not the base metals? Keeping gold in solution without it cementing back onto the base metals?

Göran

 

[goldsilverpro]

How do you think that would work? Dissolving only gold but not the base metals? Keeping gold in solution without it cementing back onto the base metals?

Göran

I agree with Goran. I can't see this working at all.

 

[necromancer]

if all you have is gold foils in digested solution you can try using the filter paper on the outside of your funnel when filtering.

all your foils will be kept in a small area of the filter paper.

i have 2 funnels, both have the bottom part of the funnel removed so there just two simple cones

the filter goes between the 2 "cones" so when i filter there is only a 3/4 inch round area to collect the foils
pour slowly and don't over fill the funnel.

hope this helps

 

[richoc]

Thinner the playing the smaller the flake, down to you do not see it with out sun light.
It will get caught in the filter.
You will be wasting acids time and distilled water doing them this way.
You should do this basically plated materials in a sulphic deplating cell.