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How to remove gold from circuit boards?

If you are into circuit boards, then you already know that we include some

fine metals like steel, iron, and gold in their structure for different

purposes. We are not going to dig deeper into their purposes since we will

be off-topic. Instead, in this post, we are going to see some of the easiest

and most effective methods for gold removal from sensitive circuit

boards.

Make sure to stick to the tips given in this guide so that you can have a

better understanding of performing this in the time of need without

relying on external help and expensive tools.

So let’s see how it’s done!

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Table of Contents

How to remove gold from circuit boards?

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Remove gold from PCB

1. Be Careful

When we need to remove gold from the circuit boards, it is better to

become highly choosy for chemical selection. There are some

considerations to follow while doing this. For example, carefully storing

the chemicals and revising protective ways to handle them to avoid

compromising the environment at all. If you are using cyanide, then it is

better to not only check its shelf life but also wear protective wearables

while working with it since it is a highly dangerous chemical for usage.

2. Prepare Materials & Safety Equipment

The next thing that we need to do is to keep our materials and safety tools

ready at hand. This type of gear comes in handy when you are handling

hazardous materials and want to protect yourself from them as well. Take

masks, goggles, protective suits, and gloves, for example. All of these serve

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the purpose of complete protection of workers when they interact with

harmful chemicals and acids for gold removal.

3. Follow Safe Handling Instructions

It is better to always stick to safe handling procedures, and these always

come in handy to prevent mishaps and emergencies during work. There is

no doubt that personal protective equipment is crucial, but there are

some other protective measures that are important to consider to ensure

complete safety. For example, covering your eyes, face, and body parts

while working with chemicals and acids. Ensuring proper air ventilation

where you are dealing with chemicals and gold removal from circuit

boards. Once you are done, then wash your hands with cleaning agents

and use sanitizers before eating or shaking hands with someone. Other

than this, there is still a chance of seeking professional help from experts

to avoid mishaps on all counts.

4. Prepare Electronics for Gold Extraction

The next step is to prepare your electronics that need gold removal. It is

better to detach the components of these devices and divide them into

three categories of plastic, metal, and glass. You can even isolate

flammable materials during this process and carefully dispose of them to

avoid any sort of complications.

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5. Clean Off PCBs

Now we need to start the cleaning and see if there are any fragments of

plastic, glass, and metal on the PCBs or not. There are some residues that

we can take out with our hands, while others need specialized equipment.

Acetone comes in handy for this purpose. It easily melts down stubborn

metal shards on the circuit boards. However, while using acetone, you

need to be cautious with its handling and protect your skin and sensitive

circuit board components from it as well.

6. Create The Etching Solution

At this point, we need to use the etching solution that assists in complete

gold removal from the circuit boards. We can even use a cyanide and

water mixture for this purpose, but it is better to wear a protective suit

and cover yourself properly while doing it. The amount of gold removed

from the circuit board depends on the concentration of cyanide that we

use in this mixture. In case when we are using high cyanide concentration,

we need to handle it with extra care to avoid problems.

7. Extract the Gold Foils

Here comes the step when we perform gould foil extraction. Before we do

this, it is important to dip the PCBs in the etching solution and take them

out after waiting for a while. By relying on a metal brush, we can easily

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remove the gold from the circuit boards. All of this happens under

professional supervision and without wearing protecting suits and using

protective equipment; experts don’t recommend performing this step at

all.

8. Filter Out Gold Foils

The next step is to filter the gold foils after removing them from the circuit

boards. We can filter them by using the same etching solution. The better

way is to pour the solution into a plastic glass or container. It immerses

the foils in the bottom of whatever you are using. After settling, it

becomes easier for us to take them out of the container with a spoon and

let them dry completely.

9. Remove the Gold Foils Sticking to the Coffee Filter

In some cases, gold foils often stick to the coffee filter, but we can remove

them easily. We can position the coffee filter in a suitable plastic container

and start putting acetone on it. The purpose of acetone here is to melt

down the adhesive that is causing the gold to stick to the filter. After

melting down, the foil will detach from the filter and will fall into the

container that we are using. Since we are using acetone, we need to cover

our skin properly for this step.

10. Use Nitric Acid

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Nitric acid also comes in handy when we want to remove gold foil from

circuit boards. The acid will melt down the metallic circuit board parts, and

the non-metallic components will remain intact. Also, with nitric acid, it is

important to use protective equipment for your safety. We can use a

beaker or a similar receptacle for this purpose and use nitric acid for

immersing the beaker with it. Now we need to wait for 10-15 minutes and

start stirring the acid carefully. We will see that the gold will leave the

solution and settles down in the receptacle that we are using. The last

thing to do is to wash the circuit board completely to remove excess acid

present on it.

11. Use Fire Assay

Relying on fire assay is a good option when it comes to bulk gold removal

from circuit boards. The metal melts down and can gather it in special

molds and ingots made of steel as well. For small-scale removal, we can

use ingots made of clay and sand.

12. Use a Gold Leaching Process

Gold leaching is also a good option for this purpose. Cyanidation and

mercury amalgamation come under this process. We often perform this

process on less valuable metals, which promises quick meltdown for the

metals as well.

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Step-by-Step Procedure to remove gold from circuit boards

PCB Manufacturing with Immersion Gold-ENIG Surface Finish

Step 1: Safety Precautions: Wear your protective suit and perform the

process in a fully ventilated area to avoid inhaling harmful fumes and

intoxicated air.

Step 2: Circuit Board Preparation: Now prepare the circuit boards that

need to undergo gold removal. For this, gentle and less invasive cleaning

agents will prove to be beneficial on all counts.

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Step 3: Chemical Preparation: We can use aqua Regina in adequate

amounts as well. It includes hydrochloric acid and nitric acid in a mixture

and is a crucial part of the gold extraction process.

Step 4: Gold Dissolution: Now is the time for gold dissolution. It takes

place by putting circuit boards in a chemical so that they can detach the

gold from the surface of the boards easily. We can even speed up the

process by using a Bunsen burner as well.

Step 5: Precipitation of Gold: After the gold dissolution. We have to use a

precipitant so that the gold can gain a solid form through it, and we can

take it out of the solution easily. After cooling the solution, we can do this

step since it will settle down the gold in the bottom after some while.

Step 6: Filtration: By using a strainer or filter paper, we can easily isolate

the appreciated gold. Then we need to wash this gold with the help of

distilled water to remove chemical residue as well.

Step 7: Drying & Collection: The last step is to dry the rinsed gold particles.

Collect them in a suitable container so that they can undergo further

cutting and scaling.

Conclusion

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We hope that now you can easily remove gold from the circuit boards

without damaging them even a little bit. In this guide, you will get all the

necessary tips for performing this procedure safely and securely on all

counts. You can even do further research on the process. Also, find out

how you can improve the results in different ways.

Related Posts:

1. 52 Layer PCB Board Flash Gold + Hard Gold Manufacturing

2. What’s the Difference Between PCB Immersion Gold and Gold

Plating PCB ?

3. How to Remove SMD Chip with Hot Air

4. What is PCB Tab?

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