Looking for a location to set up...need advice

[Roxx]

...so I have been looking for a location to set-up a small refinery for refining the scrap from local jewelers and pawn shops. There is a small community art building that rents space to different "artists." However these "artists" all seem to be glassblowers and the whole place is rigged with oxy/ace and oxy/nat. gas with large overhead exhaust hoods.

My question is: Would the corrosive fumes released by doing large batches of gold and silver(primarily silver) with the AR process harm or anyway damage the highly expensive torches and equipment these guys use to blow glass?

Thanks,
-roxx

 

[Harold_V]

All depends on how well ventilated your work station would be. Once you start working with acids, unless you can keep exchanging the atmosphere, keeping a negative pressure in your personal work environment, fumes will escape. In due time, you will have complaints from anyone that enters the same building. The smell of acids is hard to disguise, and there is damage done, particularly to ferrous alloys.

I recommend against sharing an environment with anyone, for any reason, with security playing no small part in my advice.

Harold

 

[Roxx]

Yea after working in my garage I soon got complaints from both the neighbors and my wife. How much space do you think I would need and what kind of exhaust or pump system would be worth while for 1 kilo batches?

thanks'
-roxx

 

[Harold_V]

I don't feel qualified to answer your questions.

I ran my first operation in a sub-division and had no complaints, although it's nothing short of a miracle that I did not. I incinerated and processed with nitric----albeit a great deal of the time at night, so the fumes weren't too noticeable.

My last operation was conducted in what was a relatively remote location initially, but that soon changed as the area developed rapidly. I incinerated carpets out of doors at first, but towards the end, when I sold the business, incinerating carpets was no longer an option. I had a few strangers stop to inform me that there was smoke coming from the roof of the castle when incinerating wastes. A carpet burning is similar to a tire burning.

My fume hood, which filtered solids, but did nothing with fumes, moved roughly 1,000 cfm. It kept my refining area free of smells, as I was constantly pulling air from outside. Made it tough in the winter, with temperatures well below freezing.

I flew under the radar for the entire duration of my refining experiences. That would be difficult today. There are many regs that will need to be addressed-----so if you intend to conduct a legitimate business, your first stop should be with local authorities, to see what conditions you must satisfy. They, above all, will dictate where you can operate. EPA will be very much a part of what guides your future.

I strongly suggest you research refining and achieve a level of competence before refining for others. Customers are hard to gain and easy to lose, which will happen if you make mistakes.

Needed space is related to the depth of your operation. You could refine that volume in a space no larger than 6' x 12', but if you have support equipment (melting furnace, ball mill, agitation tank, filter press, storage for chemicals and supplies), you may find that you might need much more. I had roughly 700 square feet and was very comfortable.

Harold

 

[Roxx]

Harold,

I too was hoping to fly under the radar of the EPA. But as far as refining goes, I have bought Hoke's books and studied her mthods as well as taken classes in metallurgy at HSU.

The problem is that here this far north in California there are no services whatsoever for the gold produced. The closest legal refining operation is in Santa Rosa which is about 4 hours south.

Its also really hard to find any commercial property at all outside of town. I think maybe I will just take a couple of barrels of acid and head out into the hills. Thanks for your help.

-roxx

 

[Rag and Bone]

If you are working close to people, you might consider firing up the charcoal grill on those days you are doing the smelliest procedures. I won't barbeque without some nice woodsmoke. Hickory and maple are nice. Lately I fancy some nice dried alder pieces.