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What to do with used Nickel stripper solution?

2007

I have a small gunsmithing repair and refurbishing business in East Texas.
I do a lot of restoration, including Nickel electroplating. On older guns
and sometimes on re-work I have to strip Nickel, using a commercial stripper.
I understand it is based on Soda ash.

The stripper is not expensive, but when it is used up I am left with a heavy
solution containing a lot of Nickel. It has not been a terrible disposal
problem since I evaporate it down and store it dry, but after 20 years of
storage I'd like to either dispose of it or somehow reclaim the Nickel.
Any ideas, please? thanks,

John F [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
gunsmith - Livingston, Texas

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2007

I am not sure if gunsmiths have an exemption or not but plating shops cannot accumulate waste like that! Permitting is required and the maximum storage time is, I believe, 6 months. You will have to have it sent to a licensed treatment facility unless you have an arrangement with the supplier for them to take it back.

When possible, don't strip -- just activate the nickel instead. That's what bumper platers do with internal rejects, for example. It may not apply to old guns due to dimensional tolerances or poor condition of the old nickel, or impracticality in reliably activating decades-old plating.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

John, There should be several facilities that can reclaim the nickel (Agmet, Inmetco, Envirite to name a few). Contact them , arrange to send a sample for profile for classification and reclaim of dry nickel. If there is enough nickel metal they may even pay for it.

Tim Deakin
North Tonawanda, New York
2007