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I intend to destroy (dissolving would be optimal) a few computer chips (NAND memory chips used eg. on SSDs to be precise). Why? See foot note.

I am not a chemist, so of course I tried to research the topic a bit before actually attempting anything. I got to know that they are covered in a resin called CNE and that there is surprisingly little entry-level info on liquefying your electronics apart from "Get gold from scrap electronics" youtube videos - so I decided to start there.

Most common scenario described there is to use sulfuric acid heated to 90 degrees celcius which should remove the epoxy coating, then applying the nitric acid mixed with water or nitric acid mixed with hydrochloric acid (like here - link)

However: I do not intend to extract anything from these chips - I just want to have them destroyed, so that data recovery is impossible. Is there a substance (possibly available to me - just a common guy with basic protection, not a specialized lab) that could liquify the whole chip (that is CNE resin on top, and at least some of it's metal contents)? If there is such a substance - can it melt the electronic without the need of having the heat supplied from the outside?

Please do not suggest thermite or "spill gasoline all over it and light it". I am looking for a serious answer - preferably one without igniting or putting something on a heat source. I am wondering if "spill and forget" or "put it in acid bath and forget" is possible at all.

Explanation of my use case: me and my buddy work in computer security field, apart from work it is also our hobby :) The topic of removing data from hard drives is often brought in our discussions and has been widely discussed on stackexchange sites (eg. this question or this one - there's even FAQ entry on data removal). There are DoD and NIST documents mentioning melting of drives. However: while there are often mentions of melting the hard drive - nobody is actually providing useful details. My mistake, the documents mention melting which is of course not the same as dissolving (thanks @Mithoron).

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    $\begingroup$ Put in fire and the job's done. BTW melting is not dissolving. $\endgroup$
    – Mithoron
    Commented Feb 28, 2021 at 17:27
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    $\begingroup$ A grinder does a good job of destroying chips. Low tech and pretty safe. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Mar 1, 2021 at 4:19
  • $\begingroup$ Darn, I've just made primary school level mistake (facepalm). My bad, guys - thank you for your input - however I am still interested in getting an answer for dissolving the chip, or as much from it as possible. I will fix the question. $\endgroup$
    – solidsnake
    Commented Mar 1, 2021 at 11:20
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    $\begingroup$ Following Mithoron’s lead, there is always the time-honored liquid oxygen and charcoal grill method: youtu.be/sab2Ltm1WcM. Or a Bessemer furnace. Or a plasma cutting torch. Or a high power carbon dioxide laser. $\endgroup$
    – Ed V
    Commented Mar 1, 2021 at 13:37
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    $\begingroup$ I know, but it is extremely unlikely that there is a way to dissolve the pesky CNE. Total destruction, however, is always possible! Good luck! $\endgroup$
    – Ed V
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 14:33

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