White Precip in my AP Solution

[patgspot]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anybody has ever gotten a White Precipitation when using AP? Just like to know what caused it and what it is. It gunked up the filters and is starting to irritate me. Help Please.

regards,
Pat G.

 

[lazersteve]

Very common problem, its likely copper I chloride and dissolves in HCl.

If you follow my instructions of rinsing the foils with HCl before you filter you will not have this problem.

Depending on what you processed with the AP, there is a remote chance it's some other compound, but try HCl first and post the results.

Steve

 

[patgspot]

Hi Steve,

I tried washing in HCl and it worked. But it didn't get rid of all the white powder. It was getting real late so I didn't try washing it again. I will try again later today. Oh BTW I'm processing old card edge connectors that were really heavily plated. They were NOS so they were very clean. I broke the actual contacts out of the plastic housing before I processed them. I'll let you know how they clened up and I'll post a pic also. Thanks a bunch Steve. You're the greatest.

Regards,

Pat G.

 

[patgspot]

Hi Steve,

Here's a couple of photos of what I'm processing right now. This was only a test run of 12 grams of card-edge connector contacts. I removed all plastic before putting them in the solution. After reading a few posts of solutions turning gooey/sticky. These were all unused/NOS that I've had stored for many years. Why keep them when they can be recycled? How do the foils look? Do they look like they should? This is my first attempt at refining. LOL Thanks Steve.

Regards,
Pat G.

The contacts on the left are the only type that are in this test batch. The ones on the right I'm going to do seperate from the left ones because they slightly attracted to a magnet. Different base metals I'm guessing. Is this a correct assumption?

 

[Oz]

I do not see pics but as far as computer plastic getting gooey in acid (I use AP for them) I have found it is usually only a problem with the white plastic. Maybe I have only been lucky as I have not done serious research into the differences.

 

[Oz]

Well right after I posted the pics showed up. They still do not show the connectors but looking at the pieces you have pulled it would be a good idea to look up the hazards of beryllium or beryllium copper.

 

[patgspot]

These were really old connectors and I think it was bakelite. The color was a light puke green. Strong but very brittlle when breaking it. I just didn't want to take the chance of that happening to me on my first batch. I hate to fail on my first attempt. Hell I hate to fail on any attempt. LOL

Regards,
Pat G.

 

[Oz]

In the computers I have scraped back to the late 70’s I have never seen Bakelite, but some of the black connectors break or crack easily. Age makes plastic brittle. I can’t imagine why they would have ever used Bakelite in a computer but I could be wrong. As far as beryllium, a good rule of thumb is that if it is a component that requires spring tension and is predominantly copper that is plated with gold, it has beryllium alloyed with the copper to alleviate fatigue. In other words very little concern with the fingers on cards, but the slots they go into must be flexible, so most have it as an alloy.

 

[qst42know]

Electrical contacts requiring spring pressure are generally phosphor bronze. It is copper in color under any plating present.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphor_bronze

The few I have dissolved leave a sticky black slime from the tin content. The white powder from these may be phosphorus.

Chris

 

[Harold_V]

it has beryllium alloyed with the copper to alleviate fatigue.

While irrelevant to the conversation, beryllium copper is used because it can be heat treated. It is heated to a specific temperature after being formed, and hardens by precipitation, unlike pure copper. It is used, along with phosphor bronze, when spring tension is required.


Harold

 

[patgspot]

Thanks everyone for looking out. I stayed up most the night reading Hazardous Material Data Sheets on this element. Wow it's pretty much safe as long as you stay away from it. I'm assuming the fumes from refining are probably worse than breathing the dust from this substance (CuBe). You can die from breathing the dust in just 7-12 days. I'm glad I did this reaction outside away from the house when it was breezy. I've already breathed more than my share of toxins (Asbestos) in my time. God knows I don't need any more in my body.

Regards,
Pat G.

Oh yeah. I know the plastic is not bakelite. I meant it was quite similar looking and feeling. The plastic on the connectors were in three different colors. Two shades of green and a blue color. I think I've only seen Bakelite in two shades, being Black or very-dark burgandy. Theres probably more colors than that but thats what I remember seeing.