Beer boy,
Question Quote
"Ok, I’ve used the search button read watched Laser Steve’s videos, they are great by the way!
My issue is I have some used AP see picture so iv read and seen people say to add SMB and precipitate gold, I have also seen others say to add copper buss bar to solution drop the precious metals.”
My attempt at an answer:
That looks like a beer bottle, or else the solution is very dark. It is hard for me to tell from picture; also it looks like you may have dissolved some solder (looks like white lead chloride powder in bottom).
If that is a beer bottle I hope you do not drink beer in your lab, you could find yourself sipping out of the wrong bottle some day when your fascinated by gold flakes floating in a jar and holding your attention.
Acid peroxide method should just be used to dissolve copper, if you added too much oxidizer (hydrogen peroxide) you may have put gold into solution, did you get the gold foils un-dissolved, which are easily separated from the acid peroxide solution.
If you did dissolve the gold you can get it back out by reusing this solution on more memory fingers, or the copper buss bar, the copper chloride solution can be regenerated and reused, no need to use SMB on it.
Stannous chloride test will tell you if your gold is in solution, but your gold could still also be in with the original materials (hope you did not discard them).
If reusing the solution decant the solution from the salts, filter solution, The lead salts could also have some gold so save them in a jar until you learn how to separate any gold from them, it is normally best to keep solder out of processes (acid peroxide is somewhat forgiving as long as you understand how to deal with it and also do not have too much in solution), (solder in some of the other processes is a good way to insure failure of a project and loss of your gold), it is just best to not get lead, tin, solder, or aluminum into any process.
Question:
Not sure how to proceed also if i add SMB wait 24 Hrs and siphon wash with HCL then water then use HCL/CL to finish.
My attempt at answer:
No need for SMB with acid peroxide.
HCl/Cl is used to dissolve gold foils, which are separated from solution by filtering, from your picture I cannot see those foils is this what you have. Where is your gold.
Question:
Or does the SMB render the AP useless?
Answer: Yes
Question:
Also seen people say to add iron to drop the copper.
We suggest this when some one makes a mess from doing things wrong, usually the have not done their homework or still do not understand the process they are trying, or just mess up a solution to where recovering gold from it is all but impossible with other methods. Which from this post sounds like you also need to go back and do some more surfing through the forum and Laser Steve's site (read the copper chloride document until it make clear sense, study Hoke’s book do the getting acquainted experiments she walk’s you through, pay attention to testing for metals in solution.
Question:
Or should I just siphon wash with HCL and reuse the AP without using SMB /Copper or Iron?
Answer: yes (see above).
Thanks in advance for suggestions.
(You are welcome).
Question:
Is the gray mud is gold?
Answer:
Nope looks like lead solder to me. In acid peroxide gold is gold, it has not changed forms, it just separates from copper, and most of the base metals. (Although you may have some value, in the gray mud depending on conditions).
Beer boy
Quote:
Ok this is AP I used to dissolve finger boards and a few CPU's I used it in a bucket with a bubbler stone and a fish tank bubbler after I removed the processed finger boards from the solution I ran the Acid Peroxide through a coffee filter twice then put it in the container you see it has been setting since 26Th of December in a cool dark place.
Answer attempt:
Best to process materials separately (especially until you understand the mechanics of the processes, and how to deal with the problems encountered working outside of the normal recommended procedures).
Beer boy quote:
Yes I ran it through coffee filter twice.
My attempt at answer:
Where are the gold foils?
Dissolved into solution? Or still in the original reaction vessel as solids or plated out onto base metals? Did you test solution with stannous chloride?
Where is your stannous chloride? And test results?
You have really not given us enough information to help you out, all I can say at this point is you need more studying, and provide us with better details of your problem once you do study and understand the process and run into a snag, unless you give more details all I see here is one big snag or mess, would like to help you learn this so my suggestion is put the chemicals up safely for now do some more homework
Laser Steve’s website for process your on now, Hokes book to learn the principles of most all recovery and processing, the forum for all of the general information.
Also we would first need you to understand the processes, so that your question will also make more sense to us, and then give us better details of you situation, when you do have questions.
Welcome to the forum this is a fun hobby but nobody said the learning would be easy but you will find it fun, I have answered your questions to the best of my ability and would like to help you succeed getting pretty gold buttons, I hope you take my answers as they were meant, to help you to see if your going down the wrong path, (if this is not the case, let me know because all I can give answers to, is what you posted and what I perceived may have happened, or could be your problem, or what I perceive your understanding of the processes is at this early stage in your journey).
Beer Boy
GOT HOKE’S :?:
(see book section for download)
(also see safety section study dealing with waste)