South Florida
Does anyone know what this is?
- Thread starter P.Roxi79
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Help Support Gold Refining Forum:
Have you studied the forum in the time between you initial post and now?
I’m a bit puzzled if what you are trying to achieve.
Are your goal to sell this?
If so get it tested as a clean powder with ICP or similar.
How much do you have, kilograms or less?
Testing powders with XRF is somewhat imprecise. But platinum acid test is similar to stone age comparing.
Solid metal alloys of PGMs are hard to refine/dissolve comparing to powders.
But please can you give us some more background for how these powders were made and if possible the raw materials for it?
stella polaris
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2018
- Messages
- 406
Check if it burns. My guess is tar or asfalt mixed with some stuff.
Yes you are going to go far, remember this picture and know the gallon baggies I have of them and the 1 and many zeros after it that will be wired to my bank account.done with idiots like you...
Behave now.
You can start by answering our questions.
"Platinum acid test is similar to stone age comparing." Does this mean it's an older technique that's not sufficient?
I know the XRF gives different readings. But, if it the XRF gives percentages of Rh,Ru,Ag or Au than it's in there, or no..... I'm so confused.
I have 15 different test from different jewelers that say the same thing, pretty much, just different percentages.Thank you for informing me of ICP! I'll definitely do that.
We have a few kilograms.
My husband's deceased father worked with aqua regia. He was a very intelligent and proficient in Chemistry. But, I have no idea really what all the powder consists of. Lol, I'm an art major that sells homeowners insurance. Chemistry is awesome. But, I'm stumped.
I went to refinery in Miami. The lady said it's half Fe mixed with Pt, Pd, Rh but mostly Pt. Look, she said... you see that silver dust in it? That's platinum powder. You have to break it up. So, we did just that. Then cooked it again. So, some have actual metals in it. We see the little balls.... But we have more metals that cannot come into fruition because our furnace doesn't get that hot. Unfortunately, the refinery in Miami only does gold. Their furnace doesn't get that hot either.
The Platinum as Gold acid tests give just an indication of may be there not anything about composition."Platinum acid test is similar to stone age comparing." Does this mean it's an older technique that's not sufficient?
I know the XRF gives different readings. But, if it the XRF gives percentages of Rh,Ru,Ag or Au than it's in there, or no..... I'm so confused.
Thank you for informing me of ICP! I'll definitely do that.
We have a few kilograms.
My husband's deceased father worked with aqua regia. He was a very intelligent and proficient in Chemistry. But, I have no idea really what all the powder consists of. Lol, I'm an art major that sells homeowners insurance. Chemistry is awesome. But, I'm stumped.
I went to refinery in Miami. The lady said it's half Fe mixed with Pt, Pd, Rh but mostly Pt. Look, she said... you see that silver dust in it? That's platinum powder. You have to break it up. So, we did just that. Then cooked it again. So, some have actual metals in it. We see the little balls.... But we have more metals that cannot come into fruition because our furnace doesn't get that hot. Unfortunately, the refinery in Miami only does gold. Their furnace doesn't get that hot either.
It is ancient as it was invented in the ancient days.
Still you need actual metal to scratch the stone used.
Besides that your story do not add up.
Your father in law might a chemical wizard or not. But not a good refiner if it still contains Iron and what not.
The pictures you have posted, looks completely like slag and may be close to worthless, at least without some proper tests, and they cost money.
Does those chunks become liquid at all or does it stay as a solid chunk in the furnace?
conventional "Scratch testing" and the widely available test acids are only intended to verify an alloy's durability to acids. they are not a method for discerning platinum content in a lump of flaky slag most of which may well qualify as ceramic and thus would also be impervious to attack by acid."Platinum acid test is similar to stone age comparing." Does this mean it's an older technique that's not sufficient?
I know the XRF gives different readings. But, if it the XRF gives percentages of Rh,Ru,Ag or Au than it's in there, or no..... I'm so confused.
Thank you for informing me of ICP! I'll definitely do that.
We have a few kilograms.
My husband's deceased father worked with aqua regia. He was a very intelligent and proficient in Chemistry. But, I have no idea really what all the powder consists of. Lol, I'm an art major that sells homeowners insurance. Chemistry is awesome. But, I'm stumped.
I went to refinery in Miami. The lady said it's half Fe mixed with Pt, Pd, Rh but mostly Pt. Look, she said... you see that silver dust in it? That's platinum powder. You have to break it up. So, we did just that. Then cooked it again. So, some have actual metals in it. We see the little balls.... But we have more metals that cannot come into fruition because our furnace doesn't get that hot. Unfortunately, the refinery in Miami only does gold. Their furnace doesn't get that hot either.
likewise, an XRF would be very good for an alloy letting you detect different contents, but when you flores a complicated mass of compounds you will get all sorts of readings.
What you need to do is have it fire-assayed by someone who is proficient.
That is the only way to establish a true and unequivocal vale on your material.
J
Jbeddo
Active member
Look up how rhodium was discovered, honestly this looks like rh. But I'm no chemist nor an expert, I've just played with a large amount and this looks like burnt pgms, rh is a hard one to melt almost 4000 degrees. Good luck there are some very informative people on here and I'm sure one will chime in. Unfortunately xrf results won't get you very far as I quickly figured out. Some are very very accurate, most jewelers however use a precious metal xrf which is highly exaggerated if not in metal form. For instance I have some silicate containing palladium, I once had an xrf test done showing 40% palladium, then assay results show something like 7 ounces a ton. Anyways best of luck.
Proffshuggarn
I know it’s out there, somewhere..
I dare to say that the black "thing" is a result of half-baked Borax AND I think I can see some tendencies towards different glitters in the yellow direction, especially on the left upper edge..
Or I think it could possibly be a burnt fortune cookie
. -Show must go on.
/Dennis
Looks like silver chloride mixed with iron/copper oxides. Doubtful any PGM present but who knows.
I don't know why people come on here expecting free assays.
How about some free advice: send it into Ledoux in Teaneck, NJ and tell them you want the full panel of PGMs done on it and you want it as a rush job (otherwise it takes a long time, they're very busy running lots of samples of precious metals). If husband's father did the whole aqua regia thing and you think it's very valuable, then let the best tell you what it is. They've been in business a long time and do great work...
Please be sure to post the results from Ledoux when you're done, and maybe someone will want to pay you cold hard cashed for your nugget o' something.
I don't know why people come on here expecting free assays.
How about some free advice: send it into Ledoux in Teaneck, NJ and tell them you want the full panel of PGMs done on it and you want it as a rush job (otherwise it takes a long time, they're very busy running lots of samples of precious metals). If husband's father did the whole aqua regia thing and you think it's very valuable, then let the best tell you what it is. They've been in business a long time and do great work...
Please be sure to post the results from Ledoux when you're done, and maybe someone will want to pay you cold hard cashed for your nugget o' something.
Borax wasn't used. But, I love fortune cookies. Thanks for being a hater.I dare to say that the black "thing" is a result of half-baked Borax AND I think I can see some tendencies towards different glitters in the yellow direction, especially on the left upper edge..
Or I think it could possibly be a burnt fortune cookie
-Show must go on.
/Dennis
Martijn
Well-known member
Calling out people for haters when you are far from flawless. You're on a sliding slope, you can still recover.
The first part of his reply was actually helping YOU. and you skipped that part and got onnoyed by the fact you are vague and all the jokes are to point that out in a funny way.
It should tell you your question is a bit infantile, laughable and not to be taken serious. You really really honestly expected to get an answer based on this (dare i call it?) "info" ???
As Yggdrasil asked:
Can you explain what your goal is? You come here with a vague picture of something charred, brittle looking, black glob.
if it a guessing game, then what is the prize? There are no stupid questions they say, but you sure know how to ask one. What did you expect as an answer on " anyone know what this is?"
NO we can't! its a picture.
Anyone know what this is:
Pancakes with motor oil as syrup!! Doesn't look like it, does it? You get my point?
Do you want help? Or just keep us busy with comments, not focussed on the challenge you have. Being offended and calling members helping you out, haters because YOU are falling short.
You want help? FOR FREE? Answer questions in stead of giving misplaced comments to perfectly normal responses to your vague question.
And please learn to reply to a post in stead of the wrong one or reply to one of your own. This is a mess. Like that mistery thing you have.
This whole thread I consider forum pollution and can be deleted imo.
Do you want a real answer? Or just the answer you want to hear, then let me know, I will give it to you and we can stop this nonsense.
Martijn.
You guys are very good at what you do.You have many,many years experience,I on the other hand have none.What I really need is a trained pro who will be compensated well for his time.I am struggling to stay afloat with my knew vintage items/paintings......
Now I'm a bit confused.
We do not do art here, at least not the art of painting and such.
You need to sit down and write a comprehensive history of these "valuable metals" of yours.
And what you have done to it in detail, not something like my husband burnt it.
With what did he burn it and how long. How did it look like before during and after.
The history of it will help immensely, even if you need to do some proper detective work.
So far all you have done is given us a piece of a large puzzle without describing how many pieces and then asking us to explain what it is.
We would be happy to help you, but unless you give us something tangible we can't.
I'm puzzled why I'm going back and forth with someone from Norway,when I am in Florida,I need physical help,not sarcasm.by the way I have well over 5 pounds but if I posted a pic you would say it looks like a brownie...hahaha...
Sorry for that, but we also have fun here.I'm puzzled why I'm going back and forth with someone from Norway,when I am in Florida,I need physical help,not sarcasm.by the way I have well over 5 pounds but if I posted a pic you would say it looks like a brownie...hahaha...
The thing on your photo indeed looks like a burnt brownie.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2021
- Messages
- 1,267
The internet is world wide, it just so happens 1 of the many moderators, who is a very patient person by the way, is from Norway. Gold refining occurs the same way all over the world. I don't know about Australia, since toilets flush the opposite way than they do in the Northern latitudes, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt.I'm puzzled why I'm going back and forth with someone from Norway,when I am in Florida,I need physical help,not sarcasm.by the way I have well over 5 pounds but if I posted a pic you would say it looks like a brownie...hahaha...
Maybe some pictures of the bulk material would be beneficial, to at least help with what you have, including any notes your father kept.
We get a lot of people with outrageous claims of lots of precious metals, " I don't know what I'm doing, but you can purchase them for pennies on the dollar".
Just too many scammers in the world, and when you don't answer the questions the pro's ask, we begin to weed you out as a scammer. Been lots of them lately.
Does the whole lot look like a brownie? I will forgo all the haha horseshit. The cutesy crap doesn't go far here. Answer the questions that have been asked honestly, and to the best of your knowledge. Then send to a lab for testing, post the results, and if anything is worth dealing with, the forum will give you very good advice on how to deal with it.
lazersteve
Well-known member
I'm in Florida to.
Throw the "brownie" in HCl and heat gently until all bubbling/fizzing ceases and let us know what happens. Fluxes will typically dissolve in these conditions and reveal any metals.
If it's an alloy it may not react.
If it doesn't react further tests are required.
Steve
Throw the "brownie" in HCl and heat gently until all bubbling/fizzing ceases and let us know what happens. Fluxes will typically dissolve in these conditions and reveal any metals.
If it's an alloy it may not react.
If it doesn't react further tests are required.
Steve
