Wet ashing ICs

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Romix

Romix

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
132
Location
UK
Some of the IC's have gold plated legs, when they'll be boiled in a sulphuric acid I think some of the base metal will dissolve and all the gold plate will be poured out with waste. Can bonding wires be plated and not solid gold?
 
No. Gold bond wires are solid gold. Either they are gold or they are not. My thoughts on wet ashing is, don't do it. The fumes from the reaction is very deadly.
 
On ebay almost on every respirator mask sellers says ''Organic Vapour/Inorganic & Acid Gas''. I personally tried few and they don't filter acids, specially sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide...
 
The ones that do has an upper concentration limit as well. Without a fume hood and scrubber, wet ashing releases large amounts of sulfur trioxide. When inhaled, it converts to sulfuric acid in your lungs killing any lung tissue it touches.
 
I started getting asthma attacks after working with acids and it's salts. Never had them before that. Only had 2 - 3 littres of nitric in my life, but over 50 littres of hcl. And I didn't do any PGMs, just been etching PCBs, and while spraying off gold foils of the boards with a spray bottle, I think salts were getting on my body with splashes.
 
What I found out about HCl from my experience, is that alot of gold dissolves in it if you leave it for too long.
 
HCl fumes at any concentration. We can't see the fumes due to ambient heat and humidity. In the winter time in cold air, the fumes are highly visible. In the summer, after a cool front and rain. Regardless of whether you see them or not, the fumes are generated all the time.
 
The 3M P100 respirator will filter out acid vapor to a certain concentration of vapor in the air. Follow instructions on the packaging. A full on AR dissolution or wet ashing produces more gas and vapor than the respirator is rated for. Invest in a wood frame fume cabinet will last longer than metal. Keep in mind that wood, being organic, can react to strong oxidizers. Take fire precautions seriously.
 
Don't know my concentrated HCl was producing lots of visible fumes when I was opening canisters with it.
But I think you right, when diluted it produces invisible fumes, it can be proved by placing ammonia solution near to it.
 
If you really want to try wet ashing: get a full body covering chemically resistant suit with a splash hood and an independend air supply line with air quality monitor and alarm, the whole system working on a back-up generator or UPS system.
Or go for cartridges in stead of the air supply and have a pile in stock, every day a new cartridge at least, maybe more often, depending on how much fumes you are creating and pumping through a limited filter capacity!!
Which would imply quite a drain on your profits. Do the math and think about what you're trying to attempt with HOT CONCENRTATED SULPHURIC ACID!!! please..

Pyrolyze and incinerate properly and environmentally safe.
Or smash them "cold' and separate out what you can.
If you can't do it safe and responsibly, just sell the Chips.

Martijn.
 
Sulfuric acid is one of the most dangerous acids you can work with

Cold sulfuric - if you get it on you will cause a MUCH worse burn then getting nitric or HCl on you

Hot sulfuric is EXTREMELY dangerous

Concerning wet ashing read this ------

:arrow: Sulfuric acid heat control

Concerning expecting a mask to protect you from acid fumes read this --------

:arrow: NOX protection

Kurt
 
Martijn said:
Pyrolyze and incinerate properly and environmentally safe.
Or smash them "cold' and separate out what you can.
If you can't do it safe and responsibly, just sell the Chips.

Martijn.
Click to expand...

Per the underlined - yes - if you want to go for the gold in IC chips incineration is the way to go - however doing it PROPERLY is important

Here is a discussion about that ---------

:arrow: Separating all metals from carbon and organics

Kurt
 
Another side effect doing this experiments with acids and metals dissolved in it.
Skin is peeling on my head and forehead all the time. I didn't had this problem before.
 
Coughing up blood yet? May look like a pink frothy mass or it could look normal but have little flecks of red blood mixed with it. If not, stop and start working safer before you do start coughing up blood.
 
Romix said:
Another side effect doing this experiments with acids and metals dissolved in it.
Skin is peeling on my head and forehead all the time. I didn't had this problem before.
Click to expand...

My advice is to stop working with chemicals. You obviously have not been respecting them properly. You need to stop and do a lot of studying on how to work safely with chemicals. No amount of gold is worth you life or the lives of those around you. Please stop, put away all you chemicals safely and study on how to work with them. You also need to learn on how to deal with the waste solutions.
 

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