recycling computer scrap.

[SnakemanBill]

Hello all,

I have a about 100-150 lbs of computer scrap (motherboards, RAM, CPUs, other circuit boards, cell phones, etc). I used to send my computer scrap to Relectrocycle in Florida but they have closed. Does anyone here recycle this stuff? If so where do you sell it?


Thanks,

Bill

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Several years ago here there were at least a couple threads about computer scrap. And then there were also several threads about stripping the gold with chemicals - that sounded a wee bit beyond what I'd want to be doing = caustic, fumes, and nasty, nasty situations.

I quit looking, but still have a whole lot of scrap circuit boards. Money in the bank someday maybe....

 

[DeepseekerADS]

 

[SnakemanBill]

Ive seen the above video and others like it. There's nothing like spending a couple hundred dollars on chemicals to leach out less than $100 in gold and then you're left with a couple hundred dollars of nasty chemicals to deal with.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Scrapping also led me to copper = right now setting at $2.90 a lb?

 

[Duckshot]

You might try Board Sort. Here is what they pay for scraps today-

Boardsort.com ? Current E-scrap Payout Rates

Ive sent them stuff but the mailman ate all the profits.

 

[tokameel]

Ive seen the above video and others like it. There's nothing like spending a couple hundred dollars on chemicals to leach out less than $100 in gold and then you're left with a couple hundred dollars of nasty chemicals to deal with.

I think that this may fall under the heading of hobby. I did my own B/W film and photo developing. The cost was more than sending the film out to Foro-Mart, but I had more control of the Pix that I made.
And it was fun.

But this is out of my league.

 

[manorman]

join one of the computer scrap forms on Facebook, they have many members that will buy for a fair price.

 

[crashbandicoot]

Any one wanting to try and recover gold from your computer scrap should look into iodine-iodide leaching.No acids,ingredients are pretty inexpensive and no disposal problems.It works and is ideal for the hobby guy.My two cents.

 

[cyberdan]

Any one wanting to try and recover gold from your computer scrap should look into iodine-iodide leaching.No acids,ingredients are pretty inexpensive and no disposal problems.It works and is ideal for the hobby guy.My two cents.

can you give me some links to more info on this? I have seen salt and industrial strength vinegar videos on youtube.
I want to see the whole process from the bath to gold ball on the scale. Some videos are so complicated.

 

[cyberdan]

I think that this may fall under the heading of hobby. I did my own B/W film and photo developing.

It has been a long time since I had my darkroom. But it was my business. I was cruise ship photographer. All my shots were B&W. I shot all day and into the evening and then party till midnight (it was a cruise ship and I was early 20's) Then into the darkroom to develop, print, dry and put the photos on display boards for the passenger's to see as they went to breakfast. Then hit the hay for a few hours. I would get caught up on sleep when we got back into main port. Or go visit my new girlfriend from the cruise. The Princess ships were our competition and they were the "love boat" so was my ship

 

[cyberdan]

I have a about 100-150 lbs of computer scrap (motherboards, RAM, CPUs, other circuit boards, cell phones, etc). I used to send my computer scrap to Relectrocycle in Florida but they have closed. Does anyone here recycle this stuff? If so where do you sell it?

That was a sad day when Jack closed his doors. He got the majority of my cell phones. Sometimes I would ship two 50 lb boxes from CA to FL and he picked up the shipping. He also got a lot of my computer boards. But RAM and CPU always went on feeBay. I would also buy SIM cards and sell in small lots on on the bay. (sold over 165,000 that way)

 

[crashbandicoot]

can you give me some links to more info on this? I have seen salt and industrial strength vinegar videos on youtube.
I want to see the whole process from the bath to gold ball on the scale. Some videos are so complicated.

cyberdan,all the info I found on youtube,search iodine-iodide gold leaching and watch the different vids,I had to watch several and distill the process that works for me.Basically you use a 4 to 1 ratio of potassium iodide to iodine crystals by weight dissolved in distilled water,put in the gold plated items and stir or agitate until the plating is gone,when you,re done leaching add sodium meta bisulfite to precipitate the gold,smelt the resulting powder and you have gold.This is more for the hobby guy.One formula posted is 40 grams potassium iodide,10 grams iodine crystals.dissolve in 300 ML distilled water,add 800ML distilled water and leach.Add 1 gram SMB,solution will clear and gold will precipitate.You can halve this formula if you don,t want to make a big batch.I,m still experimenting but i,ve proved it works for me.Hope this is helpful to you and much luck to you!

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

Tons of fun to learn. Lots of gold to be had.

 

[cyberdan]

Basically you use a 4 to 1 ratio of potassium iodide to iodine crystals by weight dissolved in distilled water

Thanks, I may try that. I will hunt down the vids tonight.
I will never go the acid route. I don't want to buy or use the acids. and then the process is so complicated with many steps.
I have a ton of questions but I will watch the vids first.

 

[cyberdan]

Tons of fun to learn. Lots of gold to be had.

That is a lot of flakes. did you use the iodine-iodide way?
What was the weight of the pieces you stripped and what was final gold ball weight?

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

No leach. I use AP and Aqua rigia. These are the foils from 1 kg of high grade vintage pins. 7 grams there.

 

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks, I may try that. I will hunt down the vids tonight.
I will never go the acid route. I don't want to buy or use the acids. and then the process is so complicated with many steps.
I have a ton of questions but I will watch the vids first.

cyberdan,I,m not using the nitric acid method either,but you might consider muriatic acid which is hydrochloric at a basically 34% strength,available at Lowes or even wal mart for 10.00 to 15.00 a gallon.Relatively safe as far as acids go.Moosescrapper has a bunch of vids on using it along with common peroxide to recover gold flakes from ram sticks and the like and muriatic and common bleach to refine it.Not a lot of steps and again relatively safe as compared to nitric or aqua regia.just a thought for you.