In this Instructable, I will show you how to extract gold from computers using products most people have lying around in their homes.

The way I extract the gold is relatively straight-forward and pretty easy, but the chemicals used are very dangerous and should not be performed without proper knowledge and equipment.

This process is not supposed to be lucrative. It is a great science project. So don't try to make money off of this process. You will end up losing money!!

Also, please remember if you like this Instructable, please vote for me. I work very hard and spend a lot of time to make these Instructables. It would truly mean a lot. Thanks and Enjoy!

Step 1: WARNING: Hazardous Chemicals Used

Although this method of gold extraction calls for household chemicals, that doesn't mean they are safe. Please be advised that you must handle these chemicals with care. Goggles, gloves, glass apparatus and a very well ventilated room with a fume hood (and a gas mask/respirator are needed as well) or an outside area is highly recommended.

After this experiment is over, I will show you how to properly dispose of the chemicals. You should know before starting this experiment, you must set up an appointment with a hazardous waste processing facility or H-MRF.

DO NOT POUR DOWN SINK OR TOILET. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE STEPS ABOVE, OR RISK BREAKING LAWS WITH HARSH FINES AND EVEN JAIL TIME IF YOU ARE CAUGHT.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

If you have any question regarding the safety of this experiment, please ask me through comments or a PM before performing any of this experiment.

Step 2: Acquire Apparatus, Chemicals, Materials and Safety Equipment

Safety first:

1) Goggles

2) Rubber Gloves

3) Gas Mask/Respirator (not needed if performing outside)

4) A Well Ventilated Area (outside or in a room with a fume hood)

Now for the apparatus:

1) One Glass Beaker (thick plastic cups should suffice, but glass is better). Styrofoam and paper will not work.

2) Coffee Filter

3) Scissors

4) Two Plastic Cups

5) A Large Soda Bottle (for the proper disposal of the chemicals after experiment)

And last but not least, the chemicals:

1) Toilet Bowl Cleaner (must contain hydrochloric acid). If you have lab grade hydrochloric acid, by all means use it. Can be found at Home Depot, most home improvement stores and plumbing supply stores. HAZARDOUS; do not ingest or get in eyes and mucous membranes.

2) Hydrogen Peroxide. Can be found at CVS pharmacy as it is used as an antiseptic. HAZARDOUS; do not ingest or get in eyes and mucous membranes.

3) Water will be used at the end of the extraction process.

Step 3: Prepare Electronics for Gold Extraction

In this step, you will need to take your electronics device and pull out any PCBs from it. On the PCBs, look for gold color.

When you find gold, strip all components off the PCB.

If necessary, break the PCB in order to fit it into beaker.

Step 4: Clean Off PCBs

In this step, you should rinse off your PCBs under water and dry thoroughly.

Step 5: Create Your Etching Solution

In this step, you take the hydrogen peroxide and toilet bowl cleaner and mix equal parts of each with enough total solution to be able to fully submerge PCBs. After the solution has been made, drop the PCBs in and make sure they are fully submerged.

This solution is called an etching solution because the solution made above dissolves the nickel under the gold. as a result, the gold foils are detached from the nickel because it has been dissolved.

If keeping outside, I recommend putting a large cup with holes in it so the fumes can escape and contaminates don't enter the solution.

WARNING: This is the most hazardous part as tiny amounts of chlorine gas are released (depending on he concentrations of the chemicals used. I am using 3% hydrogen peroxide and the toilet bowl cleaner is 9.5% hydrochloric acid.). Make sure you are outside or in a very well ventilated area with the right safety equipment.

Step 6: Wait for It

In this step, all you have to do is wait for the gold foils to come off the PCB. Once you see all the gold foils floating around, wait one more day to make sure all nickel is actually off the gold foils.

This process takes a few days at most.

Step 7: Extract the Gold Foils

In this step, you will need a large soda bottle that will collect all etching solution (even if it is diluted with water, it still must go into the bottle for proper disposal). Then, you should remove the PCB and scrape off any gold still attached to the PCB (you should be wearing gloves if performing this step by hand) and fully submerge it into a cup of water.

Then, add some add some water to the existing solution full of gold (I recommend doubling the amount of solution with water. Also, if you need more capacity to hold the solution, a big plastic cup should do.).

After you thin out the solution and the gold foils have settled to the bottom, pour out a little of the solution (while keeping the gold at the bottom) into a your large soda bottle. Add some more water and repeat many times until the solution is thin enough to go through a coffee filter.

DO NOT POUR DOWN SINK OR TOILET. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE STEPS ABOVE, OR RISK BREAKING LAWS WITH HARSH FINES AND EVEN JAIL TIME IF YOU ARE CAUGHT.

Step 8: Filter Out Gold Foils

In this step, pour your solution containing the gold into the coffee slowly (make sure your coffee filter is over a cup). Be careful not to rip the filter or you will have to start the filtration process over again.

Also, if the water the stripped PCBs are submerged in has gold foils floating around, pour that into the filter, too.

After filtering out all the gold, pour out the excess water into your hazardous waste bottle that will be disposed of properly, and continue to run regular water through the filter to clean the gold.

Make sure all water that is mixed with the etching solution is contained in your bottle that must be disposed of properly in the next step.

DO NOT POUR DOWN SINK OR TOILET. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE STEPS ABOVE, OR RISK BREAKING LAWS WITH HARSH FINES AND EVEN JAIL TIME IF YOU ARE CAUGHT.

Step 9: Remove the Gold Foils Sticking to the Coffee Filter

In this step, turn your coffee filter inside out over a cup and add a little water to the top. This pushes the gold foils off the filter and into the cup.

Then, wait for the gold foils to settle to the bottom and get as much water out. After that, you could wait for the water to evaporate out and you are left with just gold. However, the gold foils tend to stick to the cup, so I keep mine in a glass vial with some water.

Step 10: Dispose of Hazardous Wastes Properly

In this step, package your etching solution in a bottle with a very tight cap (if using chemical concentrations higher than what I've used, package in glass bottle. Otherwise, plastic is fine.). Label the bottle and make sure it clearly says HAZARDOUS, DO NOT DRINK OR OPEN in huge letters all over the bottle. Tape the cap with masking tape so people, if they get ahold of it, don't open it. Also, keep away from anyone else, especially young children, or any other bottles of the same kind.

Also, take PCBs and put them in a plastic bag and put into trash. These are fine to put in the trash if you have followed previous step of soaking them in a cup of water. If not, please soak in water before disposing.

After properly packaging, take to your nearest hazardous waste processing facility or H-MRF. These facilities are only by appointment and sometimes, depending on where you live, charge a fee (around $5 in most places that are government run. I don't know what the fee is for privately run facilities.).

DO NOT POUR DOWN SINK OR TOILET. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE STEPS ABOVE, OR RISK BREAKING LAWS WITH HARSH FINES AND EVEN JAIL TIME IF YOU ARE CAUGHT.