19 replies to this topic

[wjames]

Hi guys...Before anyone starts...I'm not planning on making what you think i'm making(I'll stick to my baby flash powder).....I'm looking to re-claim gold - from a quantity of old CPU's+Old telephone parts.

Anyway, does anyone know what the legalites are of buying Nitric and Hydrochloric acids are in the UK...Im not talking slab cleaner here....I'm talking Fuming/concentrated.

Just curious, before anyone gets to objective - I do have access to a lab, and more than adequate safety kit/ppe - i'm not planning on doing THIS in my kitchen !!!!

I'm guessing it'll be expensive to BUY it.....coshh and HAZMAT shipping and all that......wouldn't need much in the first instance.


any thoughts.

[rr22]

I think that subject to H&S,all relevant permissions and a legitimate use one could get hold of almost anything.

According to this:

http://www.hpa.org.u.../1190384328546/

The U.K produces a million tons a year,so someone is using it.

Will you be running "cash for your old PC " Tele. adverts?

ETA:

Edited by rr22, 23 September 2009 - 02:16 AM.

[Arthur Brown]

Business need in business premises no problem, though regulatory compliance may prove challenging.

[wjames]

Well......best stuff to get is from OLD SCHOOL CPU's......Like 486 type stuff - that and old Tube fired tv's

Not sure how many people scrap that kind of thing these days.....but it'd be along the lines of " free recycling...." you give us your waste computers, we will recycle them for free.

Lots of comanies pay GOOD money to have Computers sent to a scrap pile....For example...i know for a fact that company A pay £15 per PC...(or hard-drive) to have their old Pc's desposed of...Due to the data that is contained on them....... so if that company could have them taken away for FREE........Well, they might have 1000 PC's every year.....so do the maths.

[wjames]

Business need in business premises no problem, though regulatory compliance may prove challenging.

Even for fuming white/red Nitric acid...........

Where would someone go about getting it - I'll presume a lab supplier would be able to supply it???? i read once that you can buy even the nastiest of acids online - The like of hydrofluric acid and what not.

[digger]

Hi guys...Before anyone starts...I'm not planning on making what you think i'm making(I'll stick to my baby flash powder).....I'm looking to re-claim gold - from a quantity of old CPU's+Old telephone parts.

Anyway, does anyone know what the legalites are of buying Nitric and Hydrochloric acids are in the UK...Im not talking slab cleaner here....I'm talking Fuming/concentrated.

Just curious, before anyone gets to objective - I do have access to a lab, and more than adequate safety kit/ppe - i'm not planning on doing THIS in my kitchen !!!!

I'm guessing it'll be expensive to BUY it.....coshh and HAZMAT shipping and all that......wouldn't need much in the first instance.


any thoughts.

Completely legal to buy and own.

Shipping depends on the strength of the items, for nitric acid if it is less than 70% but greater than 65% then the UN LQ22 applies therefore a company could ship this to you in 1 litre containers without the need for ADR shipping. There are a number of carriers that accept LQ shipments. This is how most lab chemicals are shipped.

There are a few lab suppliers out there that will sell you this stuff if you can convince them that you are going to use it for a valid experiment. The only issue is that they normally have a minimum order of £50 before VAT and del. The Nitric will cost you in the region of £8 per litre.

Hope this helps.

[wjames]

Business need in business premises no problem, though regulatory compliance may prove challenging.

Even for fuming white/red Nitric acid...........

Where would someone go about getting it - I'll presume a lab supplier would be able to supply it???? i read once that you can buy even the nastiest of acids online - The like of hydrofluric acid and what not.

[phildunford]

Must say, never had much trouble getting hold of this sort of stuff - caveat emptor though...

[Arthur Brown]

Up to 70% nitric is an oxidiser, above that it is largely a nitrating agent. Strange that 65 - 68% is a catalogue product and the rest is not easily purchased! Also note that nitric decomposes before it distils!

Edited by Arthur Brown, 23 September 2009 - 06:08 AM.

[digger]

I just thought it formed an azeotrope at 68%. So with a bit of ingenuity one could alter the azeotropic point by the addition of dehydrating component or changing the distillation pressure accordingly.

[RFD]

Wjames,if your planning to process cpu s and boards, i would suggest using hydrochloric and hydrogen peroxide as hydrochloric and nitric commonly called aquia regia has its own problems and not always the best choice,there some very good forums with excellent tutorials on gold reclamation and it can get almost as addictive as fireworks.

[digger]

Wjames,if your planning to process cpu s and boards, i would suggest using hydrochloric and hydrogen peroxide as hydrochloric and nitric commonly called aquia regia has its own problems and not always the best choice,there some very good forums with excellent tutorials on gold reclamation and it can get almost as addictive as fireworks.

It certainly does sound interesting. I can see the potential to get very hooked on it. I guess I should definitely not give it a go or I will never finish anything.

[wjames]

It certainly does sound interesting. I can see the potential to get very hooked on it. I guess I should definitely not give it a go or I will never finish anything.

yeah, i've heard its highly addictive.

A little birdie tells me that making "gold salt" is....well, somewhat lucrative......but i have a distinct lack of A:cyanide B: Gold and C: the kit to do it. !!!!

all interesting even if i never try it !

[plastics]

As a private individual I have not had any trouble buying 1l quantities of 98% sulphuric and concentrated (37%) HCl online. One company supplied it without asking a reason, to the other I said 'general laboratory reagent' and this was enough. In all cases they were delivered by courier (Citylink/TNT) and the carriage cost more than the product (conc sulphuric can be got for about £7 - 10 for a litre before carriage). You might get asked a few questions if attempting to buy conc sulphuric and conc nitric together. Most commercially available conc nitric is the azeotrope (68 - 70%) which can be broken by distilling with conc sulphuric as a dehydrating agent. I have personally synthesised/distilled red fuming nitric acid. It is seriously nasty stuff dissolving or igniting anything it comes into contact with whilst releasing toxic nitrogen dioxide and acid vapour for good measure. To distill/isolate it 'safely' you need some quite expensive all glass quickfit apparatus as it will eat anything else. If you want to isolate it without excess nitrogen dioxide (white fuming nitric acid) it needs to be distilled under reduced pressure - not something for the faint hearted. I have not come across anywhere that supplies RFNA or WFNA to private individuals/addresses

[wjames]

As a private individual I have not had any trouble buying 1l quantities of 98% sulphuric and concentrated (37%) HCl online. One company supplied it without asking a reason, to the other I said 'general laboratory reagent' and this was enough. In all cases they were delivered by courier (Citylink/TNT) and the carriage cost more than the product (conc sulphuric can be got for about £7 - 10 for a litre before carriage). You might get asked a few questions if attempting to buy conc sulphuric and conc nitric together. Most commercially available conc nitric is the azeotrope (68 - 70%) which can be broken by distilling with conc sulphuric as a dehydrating agent. I have personally synthesised/distilled red fuming nitric acid. It is seriously nasty stuff dissolving or igniting anything it comes into contact with whilst releasing toxic nitrogen dioxide and acid vapour for good measure. To distill/isolate it 'safely' you need some quite expensive all glass quickfit apparatus as it will eat anything else. If you want to isolate it without excess nitrogen dioxide (white fuming nitric acid) it needs to be distilled under reduced pressure - not something for the faint hearted. I have not come across anywhere that supplies RFNA or WFNA to private individuals/addresses

interesting.