Here are sample applications of our technologies. We offer a variety of technologies with the aim to optimize the recoup and recycling of precious metals. We can tailor and customize our technologies to your specific applications and challenges.
Please click on the area of interest below and it will lead you to some general details on how we solved specific problems and developed just the right Alchemy Rich Solutions.
- Electronic Chips
- Photovoltaic System Shields Cleaned Without HF
- General Etching
- Recoup Gold From Polymer Sandwich
- Gold From Tailings At Remote Locations
- Wafers Recycled And Precious Metals Recouped
- Recoup From a Variety of Substrates
- Gold Platinum From Copper Or Aluminum Substrates
- Palladium or Silver At High Purities
- Separate Indium from Copper or Gallium or Selenium
- Indium - No Electrochemical Purification
- Dissolve and Recoup Alloyed Depositions
- Separate Gold from Tin or Tantalum Alloys
- Separate Silver From Gold Alloy
- Selectively Etch Gold With Alchemy Rich Solutions
Electronic Chips
We have invented two technologies that can be used to recycle precious metals from eScrap:
- “Sequential extraction of metals and precious metals“ from eScrap, followed by the new Alchemy Rich Solutions patented process. Besides gold, platinum, silver, palladium and indium, we can recycle other metals (copper, nickel, and other metals of choice). Quite often, it is more convenient to obtain the “other“ metals in form of their inorganic salts or organic complexes. The market price of the salts/complexes can be higher than that of any one metal.
- “Chemical milling“ of eScrap, followed by the new Alchemy Rich Solutions patented process which dissolves (etches) the metals of the eScrap. Besides gold, platinum, silver, palladium and indium, we can recycle other metals (copper, nickel, and other metals of choice). Quite often, it is more convenient to obtain the “other“ metals in form of their inorganic salts or organic complexes. The market price of the salts/complexes can be higher than that of any one metal.
And – as mentioned above – our technology does not require special furnaces to recycle palladium, silver or indium (patent pending). We can recycle and obtain the precious and other metals of high purity in remote locations, as an example, with simple chemical processing set-up.
Photovoltaic Systems Shields Cleaned without HF
This is a novel technology on selective wet etching of Silicon Nitrides (photovoltaic cell material) from different substrates including stainless steel, carbon fiber carriers, graphite, etc. Customers appreciate the technology because there is no hydrofluoric acid (HF) being used. Since hydrofluoric acid (HF) is a gas dissolved in water, its fumes always stay in pores of CFCs and/or graphite, leaving the producers with the need to wait a long time to reach vacuum in the PVD or CVD process to start producing their films. This technology saves production time while increasing productivity significantly. Since the etching liquid mix is not as aggressive as the mix with hydrofluoric acid (HF), the precision parts cleaned by this technology last longer. The extraction of chromium from stainless steel treated by hydrofluoric acid (HF) was measured. The amount of chromium extracted by hydrofluoric acid is ten times higher than for the stainless steel precision part that had been treated by our non-HF technology.
General Etching
- Selective wet etching of chrome/copper and chrome/nickel alloys deposited onto PEEK polymer
- Selective wet etching of silicon nitrides and silicon oxides deposited onto CFCs (Carbon Fiber Carriers), graphite, stainless steel, titanium and quartz substrates by non-HF technology.
- Selective wet etching of CIG/CIGS (Cu/In/Ga/Se) deposited onto stainless steel and aluminum substrates.
- Selective wet etching of niobium and silicon salts deposited onto steel, stainless steel and aluminum substrates.
- Selective wet etching of titanium deposited onto stainless steel and graphite substrates.
- Selective wet etching of Silicon Oxides deposited onto aluminum and quartz substrates.
- Selective wet etching of thick deposition of aluminum, copper and titanium from stainless steel substrate.
- Selective wet etching of AZO (Aluminum Zinc Oxide) deposited onto stainless steel substrate.
- Selective wet etching of DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) deposited onto stainless steel substrate.
- Selective wet etching of chromium, titanium and aluminum deposited onto steel and stainless steel substrates.
- Selective wet etching of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) deposited onto stainless steel, plastic, and glass substrates.
- Selective wet etching of TiCN (Titanium Carbo-Nitride), TiN (Titanium Nitride) and AlN (Aluminum Nitride) deposited onto graphite, CFCs (Carbon Fiber Carriers) and stainless steel by non-HF technology.
- Etc.
Recoup Gold from Polymer Sandwich
When you have a polymer with electronic gold circuits that are trapped inside of a polymer sandwich (glucose meter test strip as an example). We remove the polymer(s) by chemical means, leaving the metallic gold circuit intact. In other words, the “substrate“ and “deposition” change typical positions as we selectively etch away the polymer and leave free standing gold which was the deposition. The metallic gold circuits are then directly smelted into gold bullions.
Gold from Tailings at Remote Locations
Our technologies, especially the sequential extraction of precious metals, can be done in remote locations where tailings are discarded. As an example, with simple chemical processing set-up with minor investment. It was a challenge to make our technologies robust in order for our clients to obtain precious and other metals of high purity using a simple, affordable and portable technology for remote usage conditions.
Wafer Recycled And Precious Metals Recouped
We use the Alchemy Rich Solutions patented process to recycle metals from wafers by selectively etching away the precious metals, we can return the wafers to the production process and recycle the wafer and save them from being scrapped.
Recoup From a Variety of Substrates
- Selective wet etching of chrome/copper and chrome/nickel alloys deposited onto PEEK polymer
- Selective wet etching of silicon nitrides and silicon oxides deposited onto CFCs (Carbon Fiber Carriers), graphite, stainless steel, titanium and quartz substrates by non-HF technology.
- Selective wet etching of CIG/CIGS (Cu/In/Ga/Se) deposited onto stainless steel and aluminum substrates.
- Selective wet etching of niobium and silicon salts deposited onto steel, stainless steel and aluminum substrates.
- Selective wet etching of titanium deposited onto stainless steel and graphite substrates.
- Selective wet etching of Silicon Oxides deposited onto aluminum and quartz substrates.
- Selective wet etching of thick deposition of aluminum, copper and titanium from stainless steel substrate.
- Selective wet etching of AZO (Aluminum Zinc Oxide) deposited onto stainless steel substrate.
- Selective wet etching of DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) deposited onto stainless steel substrate.
- Selective wet etching of chromium, titanium and aluminum deposited onto steel and stainless steel substrates.
- Selective wet etching of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) deposited onto stainless steel, plastic, and glass substrates.
- Selective wet etching of TiCN (Titanium Carbo-Nitride), TiN (Titanium Nitride) and AlN (Aluminum Nitride) deposited onto graphite, CFCs (Carbon Fiber Carriers) and stainless steel by non-HF technology,
- Etc.
Gold Platinum From Copper or Aluminum Substrates
We can remove gold and/or platinum from difficult substrates like copper or aluminum by Alchemy Rich Solutions. It also protects the substrate and/or surface while dissolving the gold and/or platinum.
Palladium or Silver At High Purities
What we have stated regarding indium, herein, is also valid for palladium. Not only does Alchemy Rich Solutions work for palladium, it requires no electrochemical method for separation or purification, we do not use a furnace to smelt palladium either. Our novel Alchemy Rich Solutions delivers metallic palladium in min. 99.9% purity with no need to invest into electrochemistry or a furnace.
Separate Indium from Copper or Gallium or Selenium
Alchemy Rich Solutions can selectively etch (no damage to the substrate/surface) indium from aluminum and/or stainless steel substrates/surfaces (selectively = no damage to the substrate/surface), we can also separate indium from copper, gallium, and selenium. Our novel technology delivers metallic indium in min. 99.9% purity with no need for investment for electrochemical separation equipment, the purification of indium, or a vacuum furnace for smelting indium.
Indium – No Electrochemical Purification
By using our Alchemy Rich Solutions, not only does the indium not require any electrochemical method for separation or purification, but also we do not use vacuum furnaces to smelt indium either. Our novel process delivers metallic indium in min. 99.9% purity with no need to invest into electrochemical separation and purification of indium or a vacuum furnace for smelting indium.
Further added value is realized, as we can recycle and obtain indium in high purity in remote locations, as an example, with simple chemical set-up and no need for an entire plant, so you can go to the work, rather than bring the work to the plant
Dissolve and Recoup Alloyed Depositions
We have been able to etch and QUANTITATIVELY separate mixtures (alloys) of silver/gold/indium and gold/platinum/palladium and silver/gold/platinum/palladium in any ratios of the metals from different surfaces by Alchemy Rich Solutions. This means that whatever amount of metals dissolved in the solution that Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) analysis yields, that is the amount you will recoup (with some minor processing losses).
This major breakthrough is not possible with the current Aqua Regia. Neither of the technologies require either investment of electrochemical separation equipment (see the Wohlwill process in FAQs) or further electrochemical purification of gold and/or platinum and/or palladium and/or indium and/or silver.
Separate Gold from Tin or Tantalum Alloys
Since there is an inorganic salt of tin and/or tantalum and organic complex of gold created in the liquid mixture (in situ) after the dissolution of metals in Alchemy Rich Solutions, the separation of the metal salts from the organic complex of gold is quantitative. Therefore, you get back fully separated gold and tin or tantalum that is equal to (with some negligible loss) that contained in the alloy that you started with, previously not possible with the current Aqua Regia. The technology does not require either investment of electrochemical separation equipment (see the Wohlwill process in FAQs above) or further purification of gold.
Separate Silver from Gold Alloy
Since there is an inorganic salt of silver and organic complex of gold created in the liquid mixture (in situ) after the dissolution of both metals in Alchemy Rich Solutions, the separation of the silver salt from the organic complex of gold is quantitative. Therefore, you get back fully separated gold and silver that is equal to (with some negligible loss) that contained in the Au/Ag alloy that you started with, previously not possible with the current Aqua Regia. The technology does not require either investment of electrochemical separation equipment (see the Wohlwill process in FAQs above) or the further purification of gold, to reach what is obtained by using Alchemy Rich Solutions.
5N Purity Gold with Alchemy Rich Solutions
The upscaling technology is available and the gold reaches 5N purity. It is simple and straightforward and no electrochemistry is being used, i.e. no investment is needed. The technology does not require either investment into an electrochemical separation or further purification of gold.
Selectively Etch Gold with Alchemy Rich Solutions
Alchemy Rich Solutions can etch gold deposited onto platinum surfaces and/or surfaces containing platinum.
- The Thionyl chloride Thionyl Chloride (SOCl2) is a reactive compound that can violently and/or explosively release dangerous gases upon contact with water and other reagents. The industrial production of Thionyl Chloride is controlled under the Chemical Weapons Convention (Schedule 3). That is one of the reasons it is used with DMF (Dimethylformamide) or pyridine (C5H5N). The DMF (dimethylformamide) itself has been linked to cancer in humans, and it is thought to cause birth defects. The pyridine (C5H5N) is linked to health issues as well.
- The chemicals are expensive.
- As toxic gasses may be released, a heavy containment reaction vessel is needed, i.e. there is a significant investment necessary.
- Based on the safety issues of the process very experienced operators are needed.
eScrap Recycle & Recoup
We have invented two technologies that can be used:
- “Sequential extraction of metals and precious metals“ from eScrap, followed by the new Alchemy Rich Solutions patented process. Besides gold, platinum, silver, palladium and indium, we can recycle othermetals (copper, nickel, and other metals of choice). Quite often, it is more convenient to obtain the “other“ metals in form of their inorganic salts or organic complexes. The market price of the salts/complexes can be higher than that of any one metal.
- “Chemical milling“ of eScrap, followed by the Alchemy Rich Solutions patented process which dissolves (etches) the metals of the eScrap. Besides gold, platinum, silver, palladium and indium, we can recycle other metals (copper, nickel, and other metals of choice). Quite often, it is more convenient to obtain the “other“ metals in form of their inorganic salts or organic complexes. The market price of the salts/complexes can be higher than that of any one metal.
And – as mentioned above – our technology does not require special furnaces to recycle palladium, silver or indium (patent pending). We can recycle and obtain the precious and other metals of high purity in remote locations, as an example, with simple chemical processing set-up.