In order to purify your metals, you are going to need to perform some chemical reactions. This list will be updated as pages are added.

Hydrochloric Acid:

Can be purchased at a pool supply store, often labelled as muriatic acid. Look for 38% concentration. Keep these percentages in mind when calculating the molar weight.

Sulphuric Acid:

Can be purchased at auto parts store as battery acid. Usually 37% concentration.

Nitric Acid:

Nitric acid is not available at the retail level, but can be made with hydrochloric acid, potassium nitrate and copper wire (cut into small pieces). Around 80 grams of potassium nitrate, over 30 grams of copper and 100 mL of hydrochloric acid are needed. The exact amount isn’t critical. This must be done in a very well ventilated area!

Add 50 mL of water to the potassium nitrate in a glass beaker and stir. Pour in the hydrochloric acid. Place the beaker into a larger glass container that has another 50 mL of water in it. Put the copper into the acid mix, then place a glass jar over the smaller beaker that reaches into the water of the larger container. You will quickly see the reaction unfold, producing lots of red gas.

Once the reaction settles, remove the glass cover and small beaker. The yellowish water in the large container is concentrated nitric acid. This can be bouled to a concentration of 68% in a narrow mouthed container.

Potassium Nitrate:

Can be purchased sometimes at hardware and gardening stores as stump remover, or at foreign markets as saltpeter.

Aqua Regia:

Aqua regia is a 3:1 mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. These two acids together are more reactive than the sum of their parts, and can dissolve gold and platinum. It does not dissolve or corrode silver, titanium, iridium, ruthenium, rhenium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, osmium, or rhodium. Aqua regia breaks down and cannot be stored.

Ammonium Chloride:

Mix ammonia and hydrochloric acid. Add ammonia or hydrochloric acid if the Ph is below or above 7, respectively, until the ph is 7. Boil the solution until it is a paste (about 25% liquid). Pour this through a coffee filter and dry the paste to get powdered ammonium chloride.

Dioxane:

Mix ethylene glycol

Manganese Dioxide:

Manganese dioxide can be obtained from zinc-carbon batteries. 6 volt lantern batteries are a good source. Inside are 4 smaller 1.5 volt cells.

Slice the top plastic cap, and then use a flathead screwdriver or similar tool to pry it off. A paper membrane is under that, coated in a sticky purple gel. Below that is the powdered manganese dioxide, which can be dug out with the screwdriver until the graphite rod can be wiggled free. The manganese dioxide has the consistency of soil.

The somewhat damp and often sticky clumps of powder also contain ammonium chloride and carbon, both of which are soluble in water. Rinse the powder with water, allow to settle, and decant, leaving the precipitate. Repeat this process several times, then bake to dry.