Features of palladium refining: conditions for carrying out, materials

Palladium in its pure form is rarely found in nature. It is usually mined from nickel and other ores. To obtain pure material, palladium is refined using hydrochloric acid and oxygen. Industrial technologies for extracting material require the use of hazardous chemicals, so such methods cannot be used at home.

What radio components contain

Precious metals were used in the production of Soviet devices, since at that time the market was focused on high quality.
Noble metals are resistant to adverse environmental conditions, do not wear out and do not oxidize. In what kind of radio components gold, palladium and platinum can be found, you can guess by their importance in devices

Approximate percentage of palladium in radio components.

Which radio components contain the most Pd?

1. Radio technical scrap of military electronic equipment.
2. Palladium capacitors (usually green) marked KM.
3. Metal core resistors.
4. Oscilloscope wire types C114 - 125, C1-9-9.
5. Switch contacts.

Most semiconductor devices contain platinum group metals, but in quantities that are insignificant for refining.

Where else can you find it?

Palladium can be extracted from computer parts. The same principle applies here - the older the unit, the greater the chance of getting a good metal yield.

Modern microcircuits contain a Pt-Pd alloy, but the yield of palladium from these parts will be insignificant. But it’s worth looking for pioneer chips.

Today, palladium is used as a catalyst in air purification systems from exhaust gases, and in the USSR it was used in gas mask filters of the DP-2 type

Preface

The goals, basic principles and basic procedure for carrying out work on interstate standardization are established in GOST 1.0-2015 “Interstate standardization system. Basic provisions" and GOST 1.2-2015 "Interstate standardization system. Interstate standards. rules and recommendations for interstate standardization. Rules for development and adoption. updates and cancellations"

Standard information

1 DEVELOPED by the Interstate Technical Committee for Standardization MTK 102 “Platinum Metals”. Open Joint Stock Company "Krastsvetmet"

2 INTRODUCED by the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology

3 ADOPTED by the Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (protocol dated February 28, 2022 No. 106-P)

The following voted for adoption:

4 By Order of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology dated November 9, 2022 Nc 972-st, the interstate standard GOST 31291-2018 was put into effect as a national standard of the Russian Federation from December 1, 2022.

5 INSTEAD GOST 31291—2005

Information about changes to this standard is published in the annual information index “National Standards”, and the text of changes and amendments is published in the monthly information index “National Standards”. In case of revision (replacement) or cancellation of this standard, the corresponding notice will be published in the monthly information index “National Standards”. Relevant information, notices and texts are also posted in the public information system - on the official website of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology on the Internet (www.gost.ni)

© Staydarinform. decor. 2018

In the Russian Federation, this standard cannot be fully or partially reproduced, replicated and distributed as an official publication without permission from the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology

Gold refining methods

Buying gold in Penza
Methods for purifying precious metals are divided into:

• chemical (based on the interaction of substances, there are dry and wet);
• electrochemical (electrolysis).

Dry

When talking about the dry method of gold purification, they mean the Miller method. It is used only in industrial conditions due to the toxicity and corrosiveness of chlorine and its compounds, which are released in excess during the reaction.

The essence of the method: chlorine gas is passed through the crushed mass of the processed substance. Compounds of base metals with chlorine are volatile and are removed from the alloy, increasing the gold purity.

Miller's method is effective due to the fact that noble metals react with chlorine last (zinc and iron are removed first, gold and platinum are removed last). Its advantages:

• it is inexpensive;
• does not require large areas to accommodate equipment;
• short - takes several hours;
• removes almost all alloy, increasing the gold content in the alloy to 99.5–99.9%.

The refining process takes place in a crucible (a refractory melting tank), into which chlorine enters through a pipe. Excess components are removed from the mixture, and silver chloride rises to the surface of the alloy - this makes it possible to further separate the noble metals from each other. Miller's method helps to obtain gold from both a multicomponent alloy and an alloy with silver.

Wet

It is convenient to separate the noble metal from the alloy by dissolving either the metal itself or impurities.

The most popular refining method involves reacting scrap with aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids - one of the few compounds that dissolves gold). The solution is evaporated and the gold is precipitated using iron sulfate (also suitable for reduction from chloride), oxalic acid, sodium pyrosulfite or hydrazine.

If the reduction reaction is carried out correctly, the loss of pure substance at the output will be minimal, and the sample will reach 999.

There is a way to dissolve gold using Lugol's solution - a combination of potassium and iodine.

Quarting is also used (from the Latin quarta - fourth) - alloying gold in a ratio of 1:3 with another metal (brass, zinc, copper), which is subsequently dissolved in nitric acid. Impurities will not dissolve qualitatively if their content is less than ¾ of the volume, so the semi-finished product is quartted. Theoretically, you can try this at home, but be aware that when dissolved, it releases very poisonous nitric oxide.

If you have gold in solution, it can be easily refined with stannous chloride powder. A day after the start of the process, the gold will settle to the bottom of the container in which you left it. The good thing about the method with tin chloride is that when using it, the operator’s body is not endangered, as when working with volatile chlorides or acid.

Electrolytic

Electrolysis involves the separation of the constituent components of the alloy on the electrodes as a result of the passage of electric current through the electrolyte. During refining, the anode (electrode with a positive potential) is a gold-containing alloy, and the cathode (electrode with a negative potential) is thin rolled gold (999) tin. An electrolyte is a solution of gold chloride and an acid that dissolves the anode.

The initial anode sample is a minimum of 900. The process takes place in small porcelain baths (~ 25 l) installed on water baths to maintain a temperature of 50–60 ° C. Gold particles settle in layers on the cathode. After the process is completed, the anode sludge is sent for further processing: the silver is separated and melted into anodes for silver electrolysis.

What methods of affining can be carried out at home?

Of course, you cannot conduct an experiment with chlorine at home. But you can try to extract gold from scrap or computer waste using tin chloride and acids. Skilled alchemists can use the electrolytic method. But don't forget about safety precautions!

Examples of refining

How to solder silver

Refining is carried out using various methods. To highlight the material at home, the best choice would be:

• electrolysis,
• sequential chemical reactions.

Electrolysis requires highly concentrated sulfuric acid. It replaces the electrolyte. Lead is used as the cathode, and the anode is an electrical component from which the required material is released. During the procedure, the original copper and brass alloys remain intact. After electrolysis, palladium with various impurities is released. To remove them, the metal is placed in hydrochloric nitric acid.

Before starting the procedure, a voltage of 11-13 volts is applied to a container filled with electrolyte. Exposure to electric current leads to the formation of powder or flakes in the vessel. It is in this form that palladium is released.

Electrolysis is a relatively simple method of producing metal. It is more difficult to extract palladium through a chemical reaction, since, depending on the composition of the alloy, the starting reagents are selected. So, to separate silver and gold you will need:

• nitric and hydrochloric acids, including their mixture,
• ammonia.

It is important to remember that in the process of producing palladium through a chemical reaction, many substances hazardous to the body are released into the surrounding space. Before starting the procedure, it is recommended to wear protective equipment (gloves and a mask) and create conditions for ventilation of the room

Price and reception locations for VYD

Palladium price (ounce, gram) in rubles and dollars online, purchase example

One should immediately make a reservation: on the territory of the Russian Federation, the implementation of VDM is an illegal act (Article 192 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), which carries an administrative penalty (fine). If we are talking about large amounts, then there is a real sentence (up to 5 years). However, the law is not consistent. What does this mean?

The fact is that the article stipulates the priority of the state in terms of purchasing refined precious metals from entities in the event that it (the state) has made investments - that is, it has made advances to structures whose type of activity is the recycling of secondary raw materials.

Regarding “anyone”, it is more advisable to sell VDM to licensed organizations, rather than to various shadow structures: buy-ups, pawn shops, etc. It is the official organizations that will give a fair price.

Speaking about the cost of precious metals, it is worth mentioning the rise in gold prices at the beginning of 2022. However, the joy of investors did not last long - soon the market collapsed, and after gold, quotes for other precious metals fell.

We offer a picture of the current state of prices for precious metals, including refined ones, in the table.

We described in more detail what the price of refined precious metals is and where they can be donated here.

Gold refining methods

Methods for purifying precious metals are divided into:

• chemical (based on the interaction of substances, there are dry and wet);
• electrochemical (electrolysis).

Dry

When talking about the dry method of gold purification, they mean the Miller method. It is used only in industrial conditions due to the toxicity and corrosiveness of chlorine and its compounds, which are released in excess during the reaction.

The essence of the method: chlorine gas is passed through the crushed mass of the processed substance. Compounds of base metals with chlorine are volatile and are removed from the alloy, increasing the gold purity.

Miller's method is effective due to the fact that noble metals react with chlorine last (zinc and iron are removed first, gold and platinum are removed last). Its advantages:

• it is inexpensive;
• does not require large areas to accommodate equipment;
• short - takes several hours;
• removes almost all alloy, increasing the gold content in the alloy to 99.5–99.9%.

The refining process takes place in a crucible (a refractory melting tank), into which chlorine enters through a pipe. Excess components are removed from the mixture, and silver chloride rises to the surface of the alloy - this makes it possible to further separate the noble metals from each other. Miller's method helps to obtain gold from both a multicomponent alloy and an alloy with silver.

Wet

It is convenient to separate the noble metal from the alloy by dissolving either the metal itself or impurities.

The most popular refining method involves reacting scrap with aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids - one of the few compounds that dissolves gold). The solution is evaporated and the gold is precipitated using iron sulfate (also suitable for reduction from chloride), oxalic acid, sodium pyrosulfite or hydrazine.

If the reduction reaction is carried out correctly, the loss of pure substance at the output will be minimal, and the sample will reach 999.

There is a way to dissolve gold using Lugol's solution - a combination of potassium and iodine.

Quarting is also used (from the Latin quarta - fourth) - alloying gold in a ratio of 1:3 with another metal (brass, zinc, copper), which is subsequently dissolved in nitric acid. Impurities will not dissolve qualitatively if their content is less than ¾ of the volume, so the semi-finished product is quartted. Theoretically, you can try this at home, but be aware that when dissolved, it releases very poisonous nitric oxide.

If you have gold in solution, it can be easily refined with stannous chloride powder. A day after the start of the process, the gold will settle to the bottom of the container in which you left it. The good thing about the method with tin chloride is that when using it, the operator’s body is not endangered, as when working with volatile chlorides or acid.

Electrolytic

Electrolysis involves the separation of the constituent components of the alloy on the electrodes as a result of the passage of electric current through the electrolyte. During refining, the anode (electrode with a positive potential) is a gold-containing alloy, and the cathode (electrode with a negative potential) is thin rolled gold (999) tin. An electrolyte is a solution of gold chloride and an acid that dissolves the anode.

The initial anode sample is a minimum of 900. The process takes place in small porcelain baths (~ 25 l) installed on water baths to maintain a temperature of 50–60 ° C. Gold particles settle in layers on the cathode. After the process is completed, the anode sludge is sent for further processing: the silver is separated and melted into anodes for silver electrolysis.

What methods of affining can be carried out at home?

Of course, you cannot conduct an experiment with chlorine at home. But you can try to extract gold from scrap or computer waste using tin chloride and acids. Skilled alchemists can use the electrolytic method. But don't forget about safety precautions!

Content

1 Scope………………………………………………………..1

2 Normative references……………………………………………………..1

3 Terms and definitions, designations and abbreviations…………………………………1

4 Technical requirements……………………………………………………..2

4.1 Characteristics (properties)………………………………………………………………2

4.2 Marking……………………………………………………………3

4.3 Packaging………………………………………………………………………………4

5 Acceptance rules………………………………………………………..5

6 Control methods………………………………………………………..5

7 Transportation and storage………………………………………………………………..6

8 Manufacturer's warranty……………………………………………………….6

Appendix A (recommended) Marking location on palladium ingot………………7

\AV

Technology and stages of electrochemical refining

The electrochemical refining method, as stated, is only used for high purity gold. If this precious metal has a purity of less than 900, then its preliminary chemical refining is immediately carried out. After this stage, 950 gold is obtained, which can be subjected to electrochemical refining. After this, it is possible to obtain pure gold of 999.9 purity.

Refining is carried out in several stages. Each of them has its own nuances, but the method is very simple to use. A special container must first be prepared in which the electrodes can be immersed. Typically, the anode is made from gold. Its fineness is 900. The cathode, in turn, is made of a material such as fibrous annealed steel. Its sample is high - 999.9.

Hydrochloric acid serves as an electrolyte together with gold chloride (it dissolves in aqua regia, and then gold chloride is formed). The anode dissolves into a substance to conduct electric current after the current is passed. It is then reduced at the cathode in the form of high-quality gold of the highest purity (999.9). Additional impurities present in the alloy after this stage settle at the bottom of the container.

Due to the simplicity of this method, it is mainly used in production. In this way, gold is produced for bank bullion. It also covers jewelry made from silver or low-grade gold. Electrochemical refining also has one big drawback. This process is quite energy-intensive. During its implementation, frequent replacement of the electrolyte and constant cleaning of the cathode are required.

This method can also be used to clean silver or copper. It allows you to obtain metal with a higher degree of purity. We remind you that such reactions should not be carried out at home. This requires a work permit, specially equipped premises and qualified personnel.

Ceramic capacitors

To carry out refining, it is necessary to prepare expensive components and appropriate utensils. Therefore, in order to avoid additional costs, it is recommended that before starting work, prepare a sufficient amount of starting materials, which contain a lot of palladium.

In modern electronics the content of this material is small. And in order to obtain metal in a relatively large volume, you should stock up on the required number of ceramic capacitors: KM-3, KM-4, KM-5 and KM-6. It is they, according to experts, that meet the above conditions. However, ceramic capacitors are expensive.

You can find CM in electronics produced during the Soviet era. Ceramic capacitors have previously been used in:

• analog technology;
• computers;
• generators;
• measuring devices (E7-14, P2-73);
• oscilloscopes (C-114, 116 and others) and so on.

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The initial stage of gold refining is melting

Where to begin? Refining is a procedure that requires compliance with rules at all stages. Even a slight deviation from the sequence will not lead to the desired result.

Gold refining begins with melting the metal

It is important to prepare the crucible correctly - it must be dry and hot. Heating of a wet crucible is not allowed to avoid cracking.

Borax is poured into the crucible and leveled along its bottom. Raw materials containing gold are placed on top. The heating process begins, and as the temperature increases, the metal acquires a red tint. At this moment you need to pour borax on top and continue heating.

What is refining and why is it needed?

Refining is the process of purifying a metal from impurities or isolating it from a rock. To begin with, gold is in most cases mined in the form of ore, and the content of the precious metal in the rock can vary significantly.

The ore is then sent to a processing plant, where it is purified and refined metal is produced. In our case, refined gold of the highest standard - 999.9.

Precious metal scrap, consisting of jewelry and other items, contains various impurities. Therefore, it also needs to be refined.

Legal aspects

This should never be forgotten. Because ignorance of the laws... The point is this: all gold extracted from the depths or refined, and other precious metals, are subject to delivery to the state. Evasion from this rule may entail liability under Article 192 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

In 2015, a law was signed that somewhat softened the situation. Thus, individual entrepreneurs and organizations received the right to independently refine their previously produced products, returning the material to trade.

On the other hand, sanctions against the sale of refined gold were supplemented by Article 15.45 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation dated December 27, 2019. Here are the fines for the illegal extraction, purchase, sale, storage and movement of precious metals, with mandatory confiscation. In general, be careful if you are going to get refined gold.

What precious metals can be refined

The most in demand precious metals are platinum, gold, silver, palladium and rhodium. This is understandable, because the cost of them is consistently high. However, any non-ferrous metals have their own price, and processing enterprises will gladly buy them to obtain a refined product.

Where can the procedure be performed?

There are several licensed processing plants in Russia. They are strictly controlled by the state.

It is to them, in theory, that precious metals should flock from all sorts of sources:

1. Prioksky Non-Ferrous Metals Plant, Kasimov. Produces gold of the highest standard, replenishing the gold reserves of the Russian Federation.
2. Novosibirsk Refinery. Processes gold for Gokhran using a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid.
3. Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant. The only manufacturer of all types of precious metals.
4. Shchelkovo secondary precious metals plant. Refines scrap containing silver and gold.
5. Ekaterinburg non-ferrous metals processing plant. Refines platinum group metals, gold, extracts precious metals from recycled materials.
6. JSC "Uralelectromed", Verkhnyaya Pyshma. The plant's raw materials are copper concentrates, which include the gold group.
7. Kolyma Refinery. Focused on processing local ore and recyclable materials containing gold and other precious metals.
8. Kyshtym copper electrolyte plant. His line of business is the extraction of precious metals from low-grade scrap containing gold and silver, without platinum group metals.

What is refining and why is it needed?

Refining is the process of deep purification of metal from impurities, that is, increasing the sample. His techniques are based on differences in the chemical and physical properties of the metals present in the alloy. Gold is an inert metal (it almost does not react with acids and does not form oxides), and this simplifies the process of isolating it from the semi-finished product.

Alloys obtained from different sources and having different degrees of purity are refined:

• gold-containing mixtures of substances mined in nature;
• gold scrap (technical, jewelry, household);
• sludge remaining after purification of copper, silver, zinc (in our case, after electrolysis);
• lead production waste - “silver” (zinc) foam with impurities of noble metals;
• gold-containing electronic waste (chips, memory cards, transistors).

The largest share of raw materials entering refining processing is the so-called “rough gold” - products of enterprises engaged in gold mining and primary ore processing. The rough metal is represented mainly by spot gold (placer gold) and sludge, less often by natural ingots.

RESERVES AND PRODUCTION

Geologists have calculated that palladium accounts for 6% of the Earth's interior.
That is, there is twice as much of this noble metal in the depths as gold. Palladium is isolated from platinum, which means it is mined in the same deposits. These are located on the Kola Peninsula and the Urals. Deposits have also recently been explored near Norilsk. The platinum of these deposits contains almost half of palladium. Outside of Russia, the lands of Alaska, Australia, Colombia, Canada, and Africa are famous for the presence of valuable metal. The last two countries are rich in nickel ores. When processing them, palladium is also extracted. Therefore, it is Africa and Canada that lead in the production of this metal. Supplies of palladium in the world in 2007 amounted to 267 tons (including Russia - 141 tons, South Africa - 86 tons, USA and Canada - 31 tons, other countries - 9 tons). Palladium consumption in 2007 was 107 tons in the automotive industry, 40 tons in the electronics industry, and 12 tons in the chemical industry. Palladium is mainly obtained by processing sulfide ores of nickel, silver and copper.

Ways to isolate palladium from radio components

Palladium is the most chemically active element of all platinum group metals. There are several ways to obtain this metal:

1. Electrolytic - using concentrated HCl.
2. The etching method is to keep palladium scrap from other metals for a day in hydrochloric acid, then filter it.
3. Refining.

Since it is by the method of refining, as a result of a sequential chain of chemical reactions, that pure Pd can be obtained, I will tell you in more detail about this method:

1. Scrap palladium will likely contain several precious elements. Therefore, they will need to be identified in stages.
2. All precious metals are dissolved in aqua regia - a mixture of concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids in a ratio of 1:3. All radio components with potential palladium content are dipped into this solution. We remember about safety precautions - we protect our hands, eyes and respiratory organs.
3. The dissolution process, depending on the amount of scrap, can last up to 2 days. The flask should be stirred periodically. If the solution turns burgundy, the presence of palladium is obvious.
4. Next is the restoration of the substances we need. Pd can be reduced from solution with potassium iodide.
5. To separate Palladium from Aurum, if it was part of the scrap, ammonia is added to the flask. Leave the liquid with dissolved metals for another 2 days.
6. The next step is to filter the gold solution. Gold is reduced with zinc.
7. And lastly: fill the palladium filtrate with a small amount of hydrochloric acid. We filter the resulting yellow-orange precipitate, wash it several times with water, then with alcohol, dry it, and as a result we obtain palladium powder, which can be melted using a gasoline or gas burner.

One of the options for refining palladium from radio components is shown in this video.

Where to find material

At home, the main source material for refining will be various radio components. By using it in alloys, on the basis of which manufacturers make microcircuits, the developers of the latter manage to significantly increase their service life.

Palladium can be obtained from KM capacitors. In them it is found in the form of an alloy with platinum. The metal is also included in other types of capacitors used in Russian (including Soviet) and foreign radio components. Depending on the type of electrical circuit and its operating conditions, the ratio of the initial components in the alloys may vary.

The precious metal in question is found very rarely in transistors. If it is used in such microcircuits, it is in small quantities. Therefore, transistors are not used in refining to obtain metal.

Palladium looks similar to silver and platinum, as all materials have the same light shade. Visually distinguishing them from each other can be difficult even for an experienced specialist. Materials can be separated using preheated nitric acid: platinum does not react with it. On the other hand, the latter dissolves in a mixture known as “royal vodka”. To carry out this reaction, the starting components must be heated.

Palladium can be isolated from a touchstone in the following way:

1. The sharp edge of a metal piece should be pressed across this stone, leaving a scratch on its surface.
2. A mixture is made of a 10% solution of potassium and iodine, to which nitric and hydrochloric acids are then added.
3. The resulting reagent is applied to the scratch.

If after the manipulations a red-brown spot has formed, it means that the first one contains platinum.

Why separate metal?

Everyone has their own reasons for setting up a chemical laboratory at home. Why might you need pure palladium? Home mining of metal is usually carried out either by amateur chemists who really need the element as a catalyst for research, or by entrepreneurs who want to sell the metal.

Both of these groups of experimenters are looking for an answer to one question: how to separate palladium found in radio components? The resulting Pd can be used as a catalyst, accelerating the process of many chemical reactions, or it can simply be turned into non-ferrous scrap metal. Most often, they try to isolate the precious metal from old capacitors precisely for this purpose. Palladium has risen in price significantly in recent years; the price of a gram of metal in rubles remains above a thousand rubles. For those who want to earn extra money in this way, it is much more profitable to hand over pure metal than to collect and sell several kilograms of radioelements containing it.

Many questions arise here, including:

• Where is the metal found?
• How to isolate palladium and separate it from impurities?
• Where can I take it?

Pd is used in the production of all kinds of capacitors, relays, contacts and microcircuits. The precious metal can be found both in Soviet-made parts and in modern elements. The modern electronics industry is actively using this element and is carrying out further developments in order to expand the scope of its application.

To obtain palladium refining, knowledge in the field of chemistry is required; the process is quite complex, so to repeat it at home, it is best to watch a video describing the features of the technology. Methods for separating Pd from impurities depend on what impurities need to be removed. Metal in electronic parts can be present either in pure form or in alloys containing platinum, copper, silver, tungsten, bismuth and other elements.

Selling palladium as non-ferrous scrap is quite problematic. If with gold everything is much simpler - you can simply take it to a purchase point, then to hand over Pd you will have to look for a non-ferrous metals collection point that has a license. Illegal trafficking in non-ferrous metals is punishable by law.

TOP 4 ways to accurately determine palladium at home

Hello dear readers.
They gave me a palladium ring - an interesting thing. I remember how at lectures on inorganics, describing the chemical properties of light platinoids, the old professor Vasily Semenych used to say that palladium, the 46th element of the periodic table, has a great future. And he turned out to be right: since 2004, prices for this platinum metal have increased more than fifteen (!) times, and now the price of 1 gram of palladium exceeds the cost of platinum and gold. I decided to refresh my memory of the advice of the kind professor and in this article I will tell you how to determine palladium at home.

As it turned out, this element is contained in things that are completely familiar to us: tablets, mobile phones, car mufflers. I don’t recommend mining palladium from SIM cards and motherboards, but it’s worth looking for old radio components on the mezzanine in your grandmother’s apartment.

For example, from 100 g of Soviet green capacitors you can get 3 g of pure palladium. The only problem remains is to determine what exactly got caught in our nets.

What parts contain gold?

Many people are interested in why this noble metal has become so widespread for coating parts in the electronics industry. For example, silver is cheaper and has better electrical conductivity, as well as lower electrical resistance. The answer lies on the surface: gold’s ability to oxidize is much lower than that of silver, and this allows it to serve in devices for a longer period.

Attention should be paid to domestic electronics produced before 1985-86. At this time, the amount of gold used to coat radio components was decent

Surely many people have old equipment stored in garages, attics and closets, maybe even working equipment, which it would be a pity to throw away. These Soviet devices: televisions, tape recorders, radios contain many radio components containing gold. This is not to say that it is not present in the parts of foreign manufacturers; it is present there, but only in very small quantities.

Approximate list of gold-containing elements of radio equipment:

• transistors, quite a lot of precious metal is in the CT series;
• microcircuits;
• Soviet-era connectors were coated with a small layer of gold;
• radio tubes, you can find other precious elements in them;
• diodes.

And the closest attention should be paid to capacitors - up to 8 grams of gold can be extracted from them. But since they were most often used in the military sphere, it is very difficult to find them

Also, some metal can be found in modern products, for example, in motherboards (and the older they are, the more gold there is), in SIM cards for phones and memory modules.

Earning money from radio components

Money from garbage - what kind of garbage can you make money from?

It is the old radio components that we are talking about, since in Soviet times the majority of gold-plated parts were used in boards. And you shouldn’t hope that a disassembled modern TV will generate income.

The electronic scrap in demand is Soviet-made radio components containing precious metals. Many people no longer need these boards with radio components; they throw them away or sell them. You can find circuit boards in your garage, shed or mezzanine, or you can buy them at a scrap metal yard. There are both expensive boards and those that are cheaper. On average, they can be purchased for 50 cents each.

But is it profitable to do this, and what parts will bring income? You can make good money on these parts, since precious metals such as palladium have jumped in price. If they didn’t build anything before, today you can get a lot of money for them.

Properties and characteristics

Palladium is used in the manufacture of jewelry and parts for radio electronics. It is used in various fields of activity.

Physical

Properties:

1. The atomic number in the periodic table is 46.
2. Density - 12.6 g/cm3.
3. Specific heat capacity - 20 °C 0.0586 cal/ (g.deg).
4. Melting point - 1554°C.
5. Electrical resistivity indicator - 25 °C 9.96 μOhm cm.
6. Boiling point - 2940°C.
7. Hardness on the Brinell scale - 49 kgf/mm2.
8. Thermal conductivity index is 0.161 cal/(cm.sec.deg).
9. Maximum elongation at break is up to 30%.
10. The thermal expansion coefficient is 11.67•10-6.
11. Maximum tensile strength is 18.5 kgf/mm2.

Palladium bars (Photo: Instagram / den.electro)

Chemical

Palladium:

1. Does not react with water, alkalis, diluted acids, ammonia hydrate.
2. Begins to oxidize after heating to 350°C. The surfaces are covered with a dense oxide film. When heated to 850°C, it decomposes into oxygen and metal.
3. When heated above 500 degrees, it reacts with strong oxidizing agents.

Sulfuric acid (Photo: Instagram / lina_malina_artist)

Area of ​​application of palladium

The value of palladium is due to its physical and chemical properties:

• high heat of fusion exceeding 1.5 thousand degrees;
• resistance to water and alkalis;
• good electrical conductivity;
• does not come into contact with ammonia.

In this case, the metal reacts with concentrated nitric acid, and therefore the latter is used for its refining.

The applications of palladium are summarized in the table below.

The material is also used to create:

• measuring instruments in order to prevent the formation of corrosion on their surface;
• chemical equipment such as distillation cubes and others.

Palladium coating helps prevent sparking in electrical contacts.

All products listed in the table can become potential sources of refined metal.

How to distinguish palladium from silver

Interestingly, silver also dissolves in aqua regia and is precipitated by potassium iodide, that is, if I dissolve a metal alloy that contains palladium and silver, they will both react with potassium iodide, and the output will be a powder containing a mixture of these metals . This is not an option if we need to determine whether an alloy contains palladium.

I didn’t want to dissolve the palladium ring in acids, but you can drop nitric acid onto two rings for the sake of experiment. So I had a palladium ring, a silver ring and a platinum bracelet. The nitrogen left a clear dark trace on the silver. On palladium, nitric acid immediately turned red. The bracelet did not react to a drop of nitric acid. Having determined the authenticity of the jewelry, I lightly polished it to return it to its original appearance.

This video may also be useful:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gEkf6OqI7iY

Knowledge of how to determine the authenticity of a particular precious metal will always come in handy. The main thing is to follow safety precautions and not to dissolve your grandmother’s antique brooch in nitric acid while searching for palladium. If the article was useful to you, share it with your friends.

Home methods for determining the authenticity of palladium

At home, you can determine what metal is in front of you, even without deep knowledge of physics and chemistry or expensive equipment in the bushes.

So, if you bought an unmarked ring at a flea market, and the seller insisted that it was white gold, there are several ways to determine whether the jewelry actually contains palladium, or whether it is a nickel alloy. So, how to check what kind of metal is in front of us?

By weight and density

The method is simple and fast. But you will need fairly accurate scales - with an error of up to one hundredth of a gram. And distilled water, it is easy to get at any pharmacy or auto store.

What I did to determine what my ring was made of:

1. I weigh the dry decoration – 3.12 g.
2. I pour distilled water into a glass, place it on the scale platform and weigh it. The mass of a glass of water is 172.21 g. If the scales have a zeroing function, you can skip this step by simply resetting the scales to zero.
3. I hang the ring on a thread and completely immerse it in a glass of water so that the product does not touch the bottom or walls.
4. I record the weighted result - 172.48 g.
5. The difference between the masses is equal to the volume of the ring. 172.48-172.21=0.27 cm3.
6. I calculate the density of the product: 3.120/0.27 = 11.56 g/cm3.
7. I look at the table of metal densities on the Internet. There are several suitable ones in the range from 8 to 12:

• silver – 10.49;
• palladium – 12.02;
• nickel – 8.96.

Considering that palladium jewelry alloy usually contains silver and nickel, I conclude that my ring is palladium, and of a fairly high standard. One cannot help but rejoice having determined such a value.

Using nitric acid

Palladium is the only precious metal of the platinum group that dissolves in nitric acid, so by the reaction to a small drop of the reagent we can determine which alloy is in front of us.

If the surface of the metal being tested turns a reddish tint, we can say with confidence that this is palladium. I would like to note that when working with acids you should be extremely careful and use protective equipment.

Using a touchstone

A touchstone is a black slate or jasper plate with a set of needles made of precious metals for testing. From the set, select the needle most suitable in color for the metal being tested and draw a line on the touchstone. Then we clean a small area of ​​our product and draw the same strip on the touchstone.

Then draw a line across the drawn lines with concentrated nitric acid, leave until completely dry and compare the effect of the reagent by color. If the color of the sample matches the sample, it means that it was possible to identify the precious metal.

Using potassium iodide and aqua regia

The method is quite labor-intensive and requires precautions. Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids in a ratio of 1:3. The substance perfectly dissolves all precious metals; it is with its help that their presence in the alloy is determined. Since we are interested in palladium, I will add that it can be precipitated from solution by adding potassium iodide. The process is well shown in the video.

Conclusion

Knowledge of refining methods, as well as the initial raw materials, which contain precious metals in one percentage or another, contributes to the profitability of VDM purification processes.

The main thing is to follow safety precautions and comply with the law when it comes to the subsequent sale of rare elements. In addition, in order not to lose money on gray schemes of shadow structures that meaningfully reduce the real cost of VYD, it is recommended to cooperate with organizations that have state licenses.

This also applies to “impatient” entrepreneurs who buy scrap containing precious metals from the population without subsequent refining. Donate all kinds of resistors, transistors, microcircuits, gold-plated watches, jewelry, etc. It would be more appropriate to join official structures.