Unusual Case, Second Chance Jackpot.

[Franciz]

I have processed few pounds of gold plated wire from a jewelry plating factory by using Steve gold cell method and recovered 2.7grams per pounds<Profit is already about 50Percents>.

After stripping the gold with the gold cell i rinse the wire and brush off any black residue it left a very nice pink copper wire.

I thought i have recovered all the gold until today i took about 50grams of the processed copper wire and put in 50/50 nitric acid to see if there is any PM left, The acid slowly ate up the copper and suddenly stop i took up the wire to see why it stop, GUYS :!: The copper wire turns into gold plated wire again :shock: :shock: :shock: I added more acid and left it for a few hours. The copper dissolved and it left with full of gold foil and also silver color foil. I am sure the white foil is not silver as it does not dissolved in Nitric acid.

I called up the factory and asked what plating do they do, They told me they are doing Sliver,Gold and Rhodium plating.
So i guess the white foil left in the gold foil and nitric acid is most probably Rhodium :lol: :lol: :lol:
Correct me if i make a mistake..

So what is the best way to process this material? I know i can dissolved all the copper with nitric acid<Cheap Here> and put the gold foil in AR and precipitate the gold with SMB or Oxalic acid and many other things. But What can i do with the rhodium? I have no idea and don't know how to precipitate the rhodium.

Can anyone here give serious help?

Thanks
Francis :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[arthur kierski]

after processing the gold foils with ar,you will be left with Rh(almost pure) in your filter paper------from this rh,you can make rh plating solutions and sell to the factory that gave or sold to you the gold plated wires----- i do this often ,but first i use nitric to dissolve any silver and palladium(if exists) present in the gold wires and then ar to dissolve the gold foils-----i do not use gold cells----i begin the process with 50nitric50water-----
regards
Arthur Kierski

ps---you can sell the rh powder to refineries-----i once sold a lot to an american refinery

 

[Franciz]

after processing the gold foils with ar,you will be left with Rh(almost pure) in your filter paper------from this rh,you can make rh plating solutions and sell to the factory that gave or sold to you the gold plated wires----- i do this often ,but first i use nitric to dissolve any silver and palladium(if exists) present in the gold wires and then ar to dissolve the gold foils-----i do not use gold cells----i begin the process with 50nitric50water-----
regards
Arthur Kierski

ps---you can sell the rh powder to refineries-----i once sold a lot to an american refinery

Dear arthur kierski,

Do you mean after i process the wire with 50/50 Nitric acid then put all the Gold and Rhodium foil in AR?
I know the Gold will dissolved in AR but will the Rhodium Dissolved too, If yes then how can i precipitate it after i have precipitated the gold?

Thanks
Francis

 

[Franciz]

IF the Rhodium dissolved in the AR with gold, I am afraid if i use SMB to precipitate the gold the rhodium will come down too?

 

[butcher]

Aqua regia will not dissolve Rhodium, it will be powders or foils after the gold dissolves into solution.

 

[Franciz]

IF the Rhodium dissolved in the AR with gold, I am afraid if i use SMB to precipitate the gold the rhodium will come down too?

I just read some of the thread here, Its says Rhodium foil will not dissolved in AR. So what should be the process????

 

[nickvc]

Franciz it's not uncommon for the wires to be layered and sometimes many times and the process Arthur gave you with the nitric will remove the copper but cut it into short lengths to speed the process up or give it plenty of time or heat. I think from what I have found that some rhodium will dissolve in AR but only with very hot solutions but after precipitating your gold put it into a stock pot with copper and any that does dissolve will cement out.

 

[Franciz]

First Thanks for all advice,

Example if i dissolved all those wire in Nitric acid after filtered all i left would be gold and rhodium and gold foils.
If AR only dissolve gold when it is in normal temperature then should i put all foils in and let it dissolved the gold and filtered?
If that is the case then what i would be left in my filter paper would be Rhodium foils. What should i do next to refine and make the rhodium into button?

Thanks
Francis

 

[nickvc]

Franciz I avoid refining PGMs and just recover, melt, assay and sell. The one problem with rhodium is it's high melting point, I usually add silver or copper to help the melt. The best person to advise on PGMs is probably Lou, Lazersteve also I believe has posted about refining PGMs, search their posts if you want to actually refine the rhodium. Be warned refining PGMs is to my mind far from easy but it can be done to a reasonable standard but I doubt many will achieve complete success.
Remember to test your solution after precipitating your gold for any rhodium content, if you do the dissolution cold you shouldn't dissolve it but always test.

 

[arthur kierski]

the maximun that i do with the rh foils is mix it with nahso4(10:1) at 500centigrates in a furnace for 2hours----then dissolve the mass formed in hot water to form rh2(so4)3-solution--- if i cement this solution with zinc,i obtain rh in a powder form------this rh almost pure ,i send to a refinery in US ---the refinery assays the rh for purity percentage and pays me the results obtained-----with some of the rh sulphate solution,i do a purification method and transform it in rh plating solution(2grams of rh in 100cc) and sell it back to jewlleryes ----
thanks and regards
Arthur

 

[Franciz]

Seems that refining Rhodium is too advances for me :lol: :lol: :lol:
Issit possible that after i dissolved the gold in AR i just filter out the rhodium foils and wash then melt...
And just sell to a refiner?

Thanks
Francis :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[arthur kierski]

if you can melt in the temperature required----why not?
Arthur

 

[Franciz]

For the time begin i think after i dissolved the gold in AR i will filter out the rhodium foils and washed and keep it in a container first then when i have collect it to a decent amount then i will try to melt it. :lol: :lol: :lol:
For Now i will just treat it as saving :lol:

Thanks everyone.... If there is still any recovery method for this material that is not post here, I would be glad if you are willing to share your experience here....

Again Thanks to all that have gave me their best advice from their own experiences.

Best Regs
Francis