HCl or HNO3

[Sheikh Hasib]

Hii everyone,

I have read some of the topic where it comes to me, HCl can dissolve metals on higher position than Hydrogen on activity series and along with Oxidant (hydrogen peroxide) it can dissolve Copper also.
I'm thinking of using only Nitric acid along with water (1:1) to dissolve all base metal including Copper 8) 8) 8) .
Will it be enough ??
Another thing is that, can Nitric Acid dissolve Mercury and Silver ?? :?: :?: :?:
And what will happen if I add Hydrogen peroxide with Nitric acid ??

 

[butcher]

HCl can dissolve metals on a higher position than Hydrogen on activity series and along with Oxidant (hydrogen peroxide), it can dissolve Copper also.

Do not forget H2O2 can also attack or dissolve gold, it can form chlorine in solution...
Copper II chloride would be a better choice to dissolve copper and the other base metals...

Yes, nitric will oxidize mercury, There are much better ways to handle mercury safely.
Why are you dealing with mercury?
There is no reason to use mercury in gold recovery or refining.



Silver will dissolve in nitric acid and water...

What are you working with?

 

[Sheikh Hasib]

I am not working with mercury. It's just curiosity.
I am trying to recover gold and copper from Computer printed circuit board for my research purpose.

So, what will happen if i add Hydrogen peroxide with Nitric Acid ??

 

[butcher]

One of the purposes of diluting nitric acid serves to help decompose the nitric acid forming a solution that will attack silver.

H2O2 will not help if you are trying to dissolve silver.


Water is all you need with the nitric acid, The more water the less NO2 gas will escape, with a slight trade-off of speed, with of less of your nitric acid decomposing and escaping as toxic red fumes...
The NO2 red gas is water-soluble and can reform HNO3 in solution...
The other gas is also invisible NO gas is not water-soluble.
NO gas and oxygen (even from the air above a beaker) can be converted to NO2 gas

H2O2 can be used to help to convert the gases (formed by the decomposition of nitric), back into nitric acid.

 

[butcher]

"I am trying to recover gold and copper from Computer printed circuit board for my research purpose."

So you are in the copper business with a plan of a little gold as a bonus...

Nitric acid is fast and effective, but can also be costly (in many areas hard to acquire).

Have you researched the dangers involved? II would not even consider dissolving metals with it, much less having a jar of nitric acid in the lab, just a spill in the wrong place could put a lab on fire or worse.

Even if you do plan on getting in the copper business, the little gold you could gain from the venture is not worth the risks to your health and that of your family and friends...

How would you deal with the deadly gases?
How will you deal with the solutions full of toxic metals?

Have you researched other methods or processes?
Have you researched what can and would cause you problems.

Different materials may work best with different methods or processes...

 

[Sheikh Hasib]

How would you deal with the deadly gases..
i'll do the job on fume hood. with proper use of fume musk. Now the fact is that, i'm not in metal business. It's just for the study purpose.
I have read Hook's book and know about others process to some extent. However, i'll try to recover copper by electrolysis, and gold by using aqua regia and sodium meta bi sulfate. Rest of the solution will be treated for discharging to the river.

Is there any better way to recover copper and gold ?

 

[butcher]

That is what I was so afraid of.


My point was, you wish to learn how to swim, but you know nothing about the dangerous shark in the waters.
Before we can learn to swim we need to understand these dangers.

Nothing should be treated for discharge into the river where it will harm all living downstream.

You may have read some out of a book or watched some youtube video, but in reality, right now you do not know anything about the processes of recovery and refining gold.

Let us start at the beginning and learn to deal with waste and deadly fumes.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3781
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=1300

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=47


Is there any better way to recover copper and gold?

Yes, there are much much better ways to recover copper and gold, than you describe, although not as easy to explain.
But first, we need to help you understand the dangers, and how to work without harming yourself or everyone who lives downriver from you.

 

[Sheikh Hasib]

One of the purposes of diluting nitric acid serves to help decompose the nitric acid forming a solution that will attack silver.

When I added HNO3 with water to dissolve base metal from PCB (Lan card) there are some white powder in the bottom of my beaker. Is that the silver ? If I want to care about copper and gold only can I remove this white powder completely ?

Is it necessary to add aqua regia (after the Nitric acid treatment) to the whole PCB to get gold or just Gold plated finger (which I have got in the filter paper) should treat with aqua regia..?

 

[butcher]

Why add nitric acid to PCB circuit boards, why add Aqua Regia?

Are you trying to hurt yourself?

Are you trying to waste your time and money?

Hopefully your not wasting my time trying to help you.

You are just wasting our time asking these questions, you will not get anything of value from what you are doing.

You have no understanding of the dangers.
You have no understanding of the recovery methods.
You have no understanding of refining.

Nothing you have done or thought about doing will get you any gold silver or other metals, all your going to do is harm yourself and others.

Put away the acids, stop what you have been trying to do.
Let us slow down and learn first before we get hurt.



To begin lets study how to work safely, and learn how you deal with the toxic waste?
Then we can discuss and study different recovery methods, and then later discuss and then look into the study of refining methods...