[IT_staff]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a way to completely dissolve pass cards (PVC based cards, like ATM cards) used by former employees to access several sensitive areas. and also how to completely dissolve PCB board along with all components attached to it so that the design won't leak to competitor. I thought that strong acid like hydrochloric acid 32% will get the job done, is this true. it's also quite cheap. Any suggestions? thank you very much.

[Borek]

Highly doubtful they will dissolve in anything. I would look for a way of crushing them into as small pieces as possible.

[IT_staff]

how about pure acetone used to remove acrylic?

[Arkcon]

 Assuming these cards aren't so expensive that it isn't with your while to blank then re-use them, they sell shredders that are strong enough to chew up credit cards,.  Failing that, you might want to reacquaint yourself with humanity's old friend ... fire.

[Corribus]

You could probably dissolve them in nitric acid if you heated it up high enough (or used a laboratory microwave digester).  You can digest just about anything this way, and polymers are actually pretty easy compared to some materials (like rocks).  It's pretty much routine for ICP analysis.  But it also seems like a big overkill.  Demagnitize them with a strong magnet, shred, done!

[IT_staff]

these pass cards have name and national ID engraved to them. it's not meant to be re used when it was made. let's say the person in charge of creating the cards didn't think to leave the card blank (without ridiculous name and ID engraving) so simple demagnetization would suffice. fire does blacken and distort the card, but that's all, the engraving on the card can still be read clearly. as for shredder, won't it be cheaper to purchase chemicals than a machine? since this won't happen again.

[curiouscat]

It's a fun problem. Nothing like some nice destruction.

How about trying Piranha?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piranha_solution

It ought to eat up a lot of the organic matter I suspect. Always worth a shot if you can do it safely.

PS. Look at this thread:

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=34538.0

Apparantly DMF works?

[Corribus]

won't it be cheaper to purchase chemicals than a machine? since this won't happen again.

Not necessarily.  There is cost of chemical disposal to think of (not insignificant), plus cost of storage and safe handling.  If you're handling concentrated mineral acids, you'll need a fume hood, spill kits, chemical storage, PPE (gloves, lab coat, safety goggles).  You'll need to train people to use these chemicals, plus you may be subject to local and federal regulations.

If this is a one time thing, then maybe those ancillary costs won't matter, but in the long run those costs add up.

[curiouscat]

won't it be cheaper to purchase chemicals than a machine? since this won't happen again.

Not necessarily.  There is cost of chemical disposal to think of (not insignificant), plus cost of storage and safe handling.  If you're handling concentrated mineral acids, you'll need a fume hood, spill kits, chemical storage, PPE (gloves, lab coat, safety goggles).  You'll need to train people to use these chemicals, plus you may be subject to local and federal regulations.

How many cards do you have? How many kgs / lbs of stuff needs to be destroyed.

[IT_staff]

I got only about 50 cards or so. as for the weight, I'm not really sure.

[curiouscat]

I got only about 50 cards or so. as for the weight, I'm not really sure.

Then I think Chemicals might be cheaper. You should need very small quantities of chemicals.

[IT_staff]

and, what chemicals would that be? that would get the job done? THF? DMF? or something else?

[Arkcon]

I got only about 50 cards or so. as for the weight, I'm not really sure.

If you're going to have this work properly, you're going to have to be fairly sure -- better than ballpark, if not exactly sure.  But not clueless. 

I got only about 50 cards or so. as for the weight, I'm not really sure.

Then I think Chemicals might be cheaper. You should need very small quantities of chemicals.

We really don't know this, it could require quite a bit, and quite a mixture, to get all of the cards dissolved.  And the some bits of electronic contents will likely survive some of the solvents, and leave a residue of metal.  Plus a gloopy mess of softened plastic and waste solvent.  Yeah, when I melt one plastic item in my house with some solvent, I just throw it away.  I might even get a ticket for that, if I got caught.  But if a company makes a half gallon of gloopy-solvent-and-plastic-mess-with-metal-bits-in-it, they can't just toss it out the back door.  If caught they might face serious repercussions, frequent audits by the EPA, and other officials, of all their documents.  Other businesses face other regulations all the time, they won't stand for one business claiming they're just going to do this once.

Our oldest tool -- fire, also makes pollution -- smoke, acrid gasses, some oxidized metal, but at least leaves less of a trace.  Not that I would do it just because the boss has some weird security fetish.  Seriously -- just shred them in a paper shredder -- this high tech chemistry game is just mental masturbation, you're not solving a genuine problem or addressing a significant, unrealized need.

[IT_staff]

well, your boss is your god here. and don't worry much about government or any other eco-friendly group. we have none of those here. you can as a matter of fact just throw the your waster in the river of sewage. nobody would mind. my boss wants it dissolved, and her wish is my command.