Is anyone Playing around with Aqua Regia?

[trdking]

Hi O All, Is anyone experimenting or actively using Aqua Regia to remove plating from electronics and RGP jewelry? I am looking for someone, SOCAL preferred but... To run some experiments on processing gold fingers pins and you name it to harvest the gold plating. I have an endless supply of product to process. Just need to figure out how to turn it into GOLD The product which I adore Thoughts?

 

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[Madmox]

Look up Cody’s Lab on YouTube. He has an interesting series on exactly this! In addition to one about collecting platinum from highway side dust from the catalytic converters on cars. Way cool.

 

[trdking]

Look up Cody’s Lab on YouTube. He has an interesting series on exactly this! In addition to one about collecting platinum from highway side dust from the catalytic converters on cars. Way cool.

Thanks Madmox, I am familiar with the process. I am looking for someone that has done or does this to partner with me on the experiment. I am lacking a key ingredient in all of the components and that is TIME!

 

[Madmox]

Thanks Madmox, I am familiar with the process. I am looking for someone that has done or does this to partner with me on the experiment. I am lacking a key ingredient in all of the components and that is TIME!

Oh I totally get the lack of time. I’m with you there.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

You dont have time for gold? Isnt that illegal in some circles? Hehe

 

[Duckshot]

Most of your time will be spent studying, most of the rest will be spent waiting.

You might be able to find someone to refine your scrap for you for a toll. If you do that you need to know that whomever you trust your material to knows what they are doing, which is why you should know the processes yourself.

BTW, trim those fingers closer to the contacts. Tin can be problematic, but it can also tell you into what dimension your gold disappeared.

Can't name other forums on T-net, but you might try inserting "goldrefiningforum" into your interwebs search engine.

Study-study!

 

[trdking]

Most of your time will be spent studying, most of the rest will be spent waiting.

You might be able to find someone to refine your scrap for you for a toll. If you do that you need to know that whomever you trust your material to knows what they are doing, which is why you should know the processes yourself.

BTW, trim those fingers closer to the contacts. Tin can be problematic, but it can also tell you into what dimension your gold disappeared.

Can't name other forums on T-net, but you might try inserting "goldrefiningforum" into your interwebs search engine.

Study-study!

Thanks Duckshot, Like I said before I do know the process. I am looking for someone to help me refine High yield gold fingers and pins for a share, I send about 60,000 pounds a year to the processors. The gold yield is good but last year ECS refining went under and I am having trouble with my yield averages with other processors. read If you can't watch the dealer he will probably skim. If I can start refining the better board myself i can understand true yields as a comparison to what I am sending to the frogs

 

[Duckshot]

Oh right, gotta keep your help honest.

Refining fingers is a good easier place to start. Those finger after trimming close can yield around 1g, maybe 1-1/2g per a pound. You never know for sure how much you might lose track of during processing, but if you don't throw anything away you might still recover bits and pieces - if you know where to look for loses. Like they say-"You gotta keep your eye on the gold". Problem is part of the process the gold is entirerly invisible or unrecognizable as gold.

Plated pins are generally flash plated these days and you might get 0.1, maybe 0.2 grams per a pound but I never tried doing pins. The older pins and those like used to be used in stereo equipment can yeild much more than flash plated kovar. But, pins are a different process than fingers. It is best to reverse electroplate pins. For that you will need to build a cell, use sulfuric acid, and a D/C power supply. When deplating pins there is a risk of fire. Don't leave it unattended and keep your extinguisher within reach.

One of the first process you should study is clean up. You can NOT just flush your waste acids down the toilet and besides some gold might be recoverable wastes. Don't get complacent with any acids, enchants or wastes. Use your fume hood and your saftey gear.

There is a book that can be found in PDF, someplace. I think I read it off "Srcibd" or a similarly spelled site. The book is written by a woman who pioneered recovery of jewlery waste and scraps. The authors name is Hoke. You will want to read Hoke's book. I Forget the title. It is one heck of a good book. Copies use to sell for well over $1,000, but now the text of Hoke's book can be found online- someplace.

Read Hoke.

Edited to add, TdrKing, check your message box.

 

[trdking]

These pins that you see in the cup are military spec from the 70's The recovery is quite high.

 

[Duckshot]

Yeah I'll bet. I came across a pound of 70's pin connectors for stereo equipment. I think they were for speaker connections. I had it refined and the yield was close to 2g grams per pound.

They don't make em like they used to.

Too bad I ain't in condition to help you. I read all about it, memorized most of it, but it can be real difficult to get gold bearing material for less than the cost of the gold it bears. For a hobbyist it's like buying pay dirt concentrates. The scrap sellers don't just sell the gold, they charge a premium for the sand.

Check your pm box Trdking.

 

[jair]

View attachment 1713271 View attachment 1713272 View attachment 1713270 Hi O All, Is anyone experimenting or actively using Aqua Regia to remove plating from electronics and RGP jewelry? I am looking for someone, SOCAL preferred but... To run some experiments on processing gold fingers pins and you name it to harvest the gold plating. I have an endless supply of product to process. Just need to figure out how to turn it into GOLD The product which I adore Thoughts?

Do not play with it unless you have a lab with ventilation , and experience with acids .
I used to use acids , and done fire assay . I reclaimed computer parts also , use Nitric acid , it takes several days and either way you will produce acid waist . Either way fumes are not good but Aqua Regis Fumes are Deadly , and residues , if on your shoes and have little ones can transfer in the house and little ones can come in contact with it and have Bad results . Caution with this !
Please be safe !