80GB Apple Hard Drive Dissolution-Precipitation

Dissolving an 80GB Apple hard drive (October 2010) (IN PROCESS)

This hard drive was found in a trash dumpster in Palo Alto California. In this experiment I dissolved the metal components simulating the processes which happen in a landfill. The metal laden sludge is then "leached", via a gravity fed drip, onto watercolor paper. As the water evaporated the metal ions in the sludge oxidizes and metal oxides and hydroxides precipitate.

Hard drive wired up

Hard drive wired up

Hard drive in dissolving solution (vinegar, water and salt)

Experimental setup

 Water color paper covered with metal oxides, mostly iron, but the hard drive case is made of a manganese alloy.  

Nokia Dissolution-Precipitation

Dissolving a cell phone (October 2010)

This cell phone was found in a trash dumpster in Palo Alto California. In this experiment I dissolved the metal components simulating the processes which happen in a landfill. The metal laden sludge is then "leached", via a gravity fed drip, onto a canvas. As the water evaporated the metal ions in the sludge oxidizes and metal oxides and hydroxides precipitate. 

The metal components are dissolved using a process similar to electroplating. 

Phone after it has been wired up

Experimental setup

 Cell phone in water

cell phone leachate on canvas (1.5X2ft). 

Electrodissolution of Electronic Waste

This work explores some of the effects of our ever-growing love affair with the latest, most advanced entertainment technology. I speed up the natural reactions between discarded electronic waste and water, and then make visible the toxic leachate resulting from the reactions. While here in America I do not need to worry about toxic water and soil, all of my electronics contain some part of this history.

Background Information 

Electrodissolution: dissolving metals using a power source and a highly conductive and acidic liquid.

Electronic waste is a fast growing environmental problem. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence all act to produce an ever growing quantity of e-waste. Due to the high cost of recycling and a reclamation differential present in computer parts, recycling can be expensive and complicated. In places without the limitations and safe guards of environmental laws, the high cost differential and large surplus create a situation where massive amounts of e-waste can be cheaply processed. However, the reclamation waste products, such as heavy metals, are free to enter the ecosystem. For example, the city of Guiyu, China is home to one of the largest e-waste landfills in the world, and because of this it is also one of the most polluted locations in the world. The heavy metal concentrations in the local water supply became so high that the city is forced to import drinking water. Processing involves the extraction of copper, gold, silver and other precious metals by burning, melting and dissolving. Waste products, like lead, cadmium, copper and arsenic, eventually find their way into the surrounding water bodies and soil.

Conceptual Approach 

I am interested in simulating the processes that occur naturally in unconfined e-waste landfills. I am specifically interested in the history of heavy metals such as iron, lead, aluminum and copper as they move from mining to electronics to toxic leachate in the ecosystem. Heavy metals are able to “hold” or transport their conceptual history more readily than carbon or oxygen for a number of reasons: they are present in our society in native form, they are highly visibile, and they are relatively simple compared to the highly complex and enumerable organic compounds. By modeling the processes that occur in unregulated “third world” landfills, I hope to 1) gain understanding, through experience, of the effects and consequences of unchecked waste management, 2) partake in the history of these objects and metals, 3) increase awareness of viewers and 4) create a new “end product” (either a 2D painting, photography or film) out of the waste I produce, that is drastically different from the original electronic components.

Leviathan Mine 10/02/2009

Here is a brief history of the site.

"Leviathan Mine is an abandoned open-pit sulfur mine high on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, in Alpine County CA. The mine, 24 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, has been contaminating a nine-mile stretch of mountain creeks. The Toiyabe National Forest surrounds the site, and there are no permanent residents within several miles. The stream system drains into Nevada about five miles from the mine and enters the picturesque Carson Valley nine miles downstream from the mine. Although there had been some mining activities for copper minerals since the 1860s, major environmental problems originated during the open-pit sulfur mining that occurred from 1951 through 1962. During this period, Anaconda used Leviathan Mine as a source of sulfur to dissolve copper from relatively low-grade ore at a mine near Yerington, NV. In 1962 Anaconda ceased operations and sold the property to a local interest. No significant mining activities have taken place since." EPA

I placed four Gesso covered glass plates and a large piece of canvas in the stream directly downstream from the Superfund (SF) site. The water was clear and there was a small amount of metal oxide/hydroxide sludge on the rock and stream bottom. The Acid Rock Drainage(ARD) remediation upstream at the SF site is inoperable during the winter months, and winter comes early here (see last picture). So, I should get some good color on the plates. I will be collecting the plates and canvas in spring sometime when the site becomes accessible.

In the future I want to gain access (with the EPA and involved parties permission) to the actual site to place some plates in untreated water and water leaving the treatment area. The results would be an excellent illustration of "before-and-after" remediation. This juxtaposition will also put these activities on a larger timeline, simply put the waters of the Leviathan Creek (which captures all the ARD) have changed from "pristine" to horrifically polluted to recovering some of the pristine past. What is the analogous change in human consciousness accompanying these changes? Not only for our "American society" but also for the individual.

This mine is not evil (despite all the brimstone and the name), it was a result of the creation of America. But, at the same time it should not be justified. There is a paradox in all mining, deforestation, hydrocarbon extraction and the like - nobody likes it but everyone wants the benefits of it.

Well, metaphors and analogues and social commentary can abound here but, for now... the work is in process. That is enough.

This is a shot just left of the previous shot. The man made conduits on the lower left are a part of the storm water collection system. The water then flows into the various settling ponds, the red areas on this picture, to be treated.

Sludge cover rock and glass plate.

Plates in Leviathan Creek

Unrolling of the canvas

Canvas in Leviathan Creek - stones were used to hold in in place. Spring snow melt will probably wash the whole this away, but it won't go to far.

Morning of October 4th, three inches of snow.

ELECTRODISSOLUTION: Car Stereo

Car stereo hooked up to car battery in acid/brine bath.

Closeup of the anode.

The voltage is to high to plate metals, electroplating, on the anode. Once the dissolved metals reach saturation n the water nice black/orange/green/blue-white (color depends on the metal) slimy metal hydroxides will ppt around the anode.

Close up of the aluminum amp, the shiny/right-angled machined surfaces have dissolved away, leaving the rounded rough surfaces seen here.

After about 2-3 days in the bath, the stereo is removed and the water is boiled off leaving the now granular metal hydroxides/oxides. The resulting "pigment" is mixed with a binding agent and applied to a 2D medium. This image shows two works in progress, the piece in the foreground is 2 layers of dissolved/distilled car stereo.

Turtle Creek near Export, Pa

Beautiful Blue Caribbean Waters of Turtle Creek! This was taken in the fall of 2008, the blue cast to the water is from Dissolved Aluminum. Where the stream is shallower the Al oxyhydroxides (AlO₄Al₁₂(OH)₂₄(H₂O)₁₂⁷⁺(aq) or Al-13) ,they form at the pH increases, stick to Everything, turning the stream bed white.  

Paper soaked for a week in some Fe rich drainage then a few weeks in some Al rich drainage. Unfortunately, the Al oxyhydroxides do not stick to paper very well so most of the Al has flaked off since this picture was taken. I am currently experimenting with different protecting/coating/staying cmpds.  

AMD AL13

Chartiers Creek AMD, lower portion

The Chartiers Creek AMD flows out of an old mine entrance (now sealed and covered except for the AMD spring) flows down a hill, through a pipe under the train tracks and down into the river. this is the lower section. The character of the precipitate changes with distance from the source, at the upper part the precipitate is very soft and yellow with abundant jello textured brain looking microbial communities, down on the lower part the ppt is much harder and orange,  and forms travertine like pools and falls. 

AMD on Hardboard: Chartiers Creek #1

11X8.5 Gesso Hardboard soak time ~2 weeks

AMD 024

11X8.5 Gesso Hardboard soak time ~2 weeks

AMD 023

18X24 Gesso Hardboard soak time ~2 weeks

AMD 023

Chartiers Creek AMD

This was the first AMD site I began working at, fortunately for me, it ended up having one of the highest dissolved iron contents in the area.  I saw this one from route 79 as I was driving around killing time and looking at things. My initial work at the site involved collecting some of the iron oxide and incorporating it into paintings and use as a high fire ceramic glaze component. I later started to immerse paper and other 2D media in the water so I could capture the iron oxidizing.  

Location: Near Heidelberg Pa, in Scotts Twp, the drainage is about 100 ft up the East bank of Chartiers Creek, just upstream of the confluence with Toms Run and near, (40.382222, -80.089722).

Date: August 2008

PaDEP Orphan Mine Drainage Site: PA0666

Flow = 81gpm

 

Water Chemistry (collected on 6/21/2006 by PaDEP)

pH = 6.00

Specific conductivity at 25C = 2410 umhos/cm

Alkalinity = 109 ppm

Hot Acidity = -9 ppm

TDS at 105C = 1830 mg/L

Ferrous Iron = 83.38 ppm

Total Iron = 82.6 ppm

Total Aluminum = 0.2 ppm

Total Manganese = 0.748 ppm

Total Sulfate = 533 ppm