Does anyone know what this is?

[galenrog]

I have yet to read any sarcasm in any post from Yggdrasil in this thread. Perhaps it is something in the translator you are misinterpreting.

Thus far you have been given quite a bit of advice. Without an assay, I happen to agree with Steve for a starting point, since you seem unable to give any meaningful information on the black mass you pictured in post #1 of this thread.

We have what you have told us, yes, but without test results, those statements are without meaningful context. Without test results, my opinion on the black mass will still be that it has the appearance of roofing tar.

If you really want to find out what it is, pay for a professional assay, or learn to test it yourself. In its present form, I doubt even an XRF would give meaningful results.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Martian G]

Nobody can answer this from a picture without significant more information.
To me it looks like slag.

Copper slag for me too, looks what you get at the bottom of a circuit board recovery if you didnt let the process run its coarse and you looked for gold too soon and tried smelting that stuff you get the same kryptonite red instead

 

[P.Roxi79]

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

 

[Yggdrasil]

Is this before your attempted to smelt it or after?
There seem to be some buttons in there, these can be flattened and tested with a XRF at jewelers or Pawn shops.
Or simply tested in HCl.
If they do not react in HCl use dilute Nitric on a small sample and test with Stannous after to see if it is Palladium.
First take one of these buttons and hammer them gently until flatter.
Then take it to a pawnshop and test it.

I have outlined the suspected buttons.

 

[P.Roxi79]

Is this before your attempted to smelt it or after?
There seem to be some buttons in there, these can be flattened and tested with a XRF at jewelers or Pawn shops.
Or simply tested in HCl.
If they do not react in HCl use dilute Nitric on a small sample and test with Stannous after to see if it is Palladium.
First take one of these buttons and hammer them gently until flatter.
Then take it to a pawnshop and test it.

I have outlined the suspected buttons.

View attachment 58388

 

[P.Roxi79]

Thank you...

 

[galenrog]

Now you have some images worthy of discussion. And many more questions.

What I see is a lot of slag and a few buttons.

Please answer the most recent questions posted above by Yggdrasil.
Once that is done, we can move forward.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Jbeddo]

If you have 5lbs and truly believe it to be something just do as Lou said. Not hard costs a few hundred $'s then you know for sure, pretty simple really. Trust me he's given me advise in the past and I was very thankful I listened. I used to believe people on here were a holes at times. Now I watch the forum alot and I get the sarcasm from some, the straight to the point from others and tiredness of repeating themselves. Because at the end of the day if someone like a Lou is even taking the time to comment you should feel very blessed. Take care.

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...

 

[billgold]

Looking at that enlarged image posted by Yggdrasil, most of the lumps in the image appear to be partial melted material. Which almost certainly means they were at least partially processed before - or are slag waste from a refining process.

So questions become: Where was this material obtained - at a previous mining site? Do you know who did the partial processing?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Looking at that enlarged image posted by Yggdrasil, most of the lumps in the image appear to be partial melted material. Which almost certainly means they were at least partially processed before - or are slag waste from a refining process.

So questions become: Where was this material obtained - at a previous mining site? Do you know who did the partial processing?

Read the first posts in this thread

 

[justinhcase]

Sorry to have to say this.
But after looking at what you have posted your husband appears to have achieved nothing but to make a rather larger and unholy mess.
I have seen quite a few people who insist on rushing forward without the preparation necessary to achieve their end objective.
But never to this extent.
Most people stop once they have found they are using a process that does not yield them any value but it appears he has been repeating the same process time and again.
Even when you run a full refinery you can not actually afford to waste the slight trace amount of gold or you will find yourself going bankrupt.
I think we should stop looking at the mess he has made and consider what his starting material was processing to start with.
If this is the acumination of decades worth of slag from successful hot recovery then someone who knows how to use a thinning flux might be able to find you some value.
But as it is you may be wasting your time looking for a value that was not really there in the first place.

 

[dialortz]

Honestly, you don't really sound like you would be worth working with. Send it to a refinery.