Carl995
Hero Member
- Apr 5, 2015
- 665
- 1,359
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
In the 70's I use to scrap old IBM mainframes, bubble memory & electronic parts.
Back then the plating was real thick, dark orange in color.
I used hydrochloric & CP Nitric acids which ate all the metal, then use zinc strips to drop the gold out to a mud.
Clean the mud with hydrochloric & then put it in the oven, Pour into 1 oz coins. Typically 99.99. The process took less than 2 hours.
My pyrex beakers were about a foot & 1/2 tall.
When I was done I would take the used, left over acid & use it to recover tantalum from tantalum capacitors.
Now I see on youtube, muratic acid & hydrogen peroxide let it soak for a few days,
then dissolve the gold flakes in nitric & muratic then add urea.
Now i'm wondering what is the best way to do it nowadays?
When I did it the beakers did get really hot so maybe this newer way is safer?
Personally I can't see running these newer electronics, it's such a thin plating.
But I still have lots of the old electronics & I still have my oven.
Also I noticed the youtube videos they don't stress the point or maybe they don't know
that you mix the acids according to their densitys, & people trying it, it could blow up on them!!
And their using a hot plate to boot, some not taking any precautionary measures!!
Any advice will be appreciated!!
Back then the plating was real thick, dark orange in color.
I used hydrochloric & CP Nitric acids which ate all the metal, then use zinc strips to drop the gold out to a mud.
Clean the mud with hydrochloric & then put it in the oven, Pour into 1 oz coins. Typically 99.99. The process took less than 2 hours.
My pyrex beakers were about a foot & 1/2 tall.
When I was done I would take the used, left over acid & use it to recover tantalum from tantalum capacitors.
Now I see on youtube, muratic acid & hydrogen peroxide let it soak for a few days,
then dissolve the gold flakes in nitric & muratic then add urea.
Now i'm wondering what is the best way to do it nowadays?
When I did it the beakers did get really hot so maybe this newer way is safer?
Personally I can't see running these newer electronics, it's such a thin plating.
But I still have lots of the old electronics & I still have my oven.
Also I noticed the youtube videos they don't stress the point or maybe they don't know
that you mix the acids according to their densitys, & people trying it, it could blow up on them!!
And their using a hot plate to boot, some not taking any precautionary measures!!
Any advice will be appreciated!!
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