any specific process for getting gold off circuit boards?
Posted:
Mon Mar 06, 2023 11:03 amby thecrazyone
Anyone have a proven process for this? And, is it worth the effort (I'd like to think yes, but..)?
Re: any specific process for getting gold off circuit boards
Posted:
Mon Mar 06, 2023 12:19 pmby NiBullionCu
Refining electronic circuit boards is not a 'get rich quick' nor is it 'easy', but is doable with study and practice.
How is your chemistry background? are you comfortable working with acids?
Typical yield is 1 ounce of gold per 1 ton of 'prepped' ckt boards.
https://www.pcbway.com/blog/Engineering_Technical/How_to_Recover_Scrap_Gold_From_Circuit_Boards.htmlIt is probably more lucrative to sell gold bearing electronics for someone else to refine.
my 2 cents.
Re: any specific process for getting gold off circuit boards
Posted:
Mon Mar 06, 2023 12:33 pmby thecrazyone
Thanks for that info. Yeah, I was seeing the articles online about using acid, and don't really want to be in that space!
It just piqued my curiosity because I'm always thinking about different opportunities. I watch these guys that haul excavators into no man's land to dig up gold, and I'm like geez, there's gotta be a simpler way for a dude like me!
Re: any specific process for getting gold off circuit boards
Posted:
Mon Mar 06, 2023 2:51 pmby natsb88
It has been years since I accumulated enough board scrap to sell, but this is where I sent it in the past:
https://boardsort.com/
Re: any specific process for getting gold off circuit boards
Posted:
Sat Mar 11, 2023 1:29 pmby Dr. Cadmium
I run a business that buys and sells electronic scrap. You are better off selling the material to a middleman like any other type of scrap than trying to process it yourself. Doing your own recovery is complicated, dangerous, and if you follow most of the guides you will find online, also illegal. The best way to process e-waste for metals is by tens of thousands of pounds at a time in a specialized facility.
One of my longtime catchphrases: "Copper makes people stupid, gold makes people re+arded." For years I've had to deal with people who think they're crafty or ingenius for making $0.10/hr while they're generating toxic waste and/or fumigating themselves. Just sell the material to a dealer and then find more scrap!
Also, FYI I pay more for CPUs and other items than boardsort does. If you ever want a quote on material send me a PM.
Re: any specific process for getting gold off circuit boards
Posted:
Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:56 pmby hobo finds
I agree sell to someone else make some money and move on. I used
https://cashforcomputerscrap.com/ on the past prices are about the same as boardsort
