Silver

[Mr T]

Hi everyone, I've using an electrolysis for refining silver, It works fine then the next minute fluffy brown lumps are floating around in the electrolyte,
Any clues how to prevent this from happening, I have to keep emptying the tank and restarting the whole process.
Any help would be much appreciated

 

[eaglekeeper]

What was the starting material?

If you melted your silver into shot, did you use any borax during the melt?

Did you cement the silver or did you use the lye and sugar method?

Too many questions.....Pictures of everything may help.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hi everyone, I've using an electrolysis for refining silver, It works fine then the next minute fluffy brown lumps are floating around in the electrolyte,
Any clues how to prevent this from happening, I have to keep emptying the tank and restarting the whole process.
Any help would be much appreciated

There are literally libraries full on information on Silver refining and Silver cells of different kinds.
Search the forum and you will find.

 

[Mr T]

We are using anodes 80 % silver
I think the cell needs to be balanced?

 

[Mr T]

What was the starting material?

If you melted your silver into shot, did you use any borax during the melt?

Did you cement the silver or did you use the lye and sugar method?

Too many questions.....Pictures of everything may help.

 

[Mr T]

Anodes with 80% silver.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Anodes with 80% silver.

I think you need purer anodes.
Now the electrolyte will foul up really fast.
What is the 20% in the anodes?

 

[Gwar]

The short video reminds me of when I am cementing out the silver with copper..

 

[eaglekeeper]

The short video reminds me of when I am cementing out the silver with copper..

I was thinking the same thing.... I seemed to get something similar towards the end of the cementation...but not always.

Maybe knowing what the other 20% will help.

 

[slsmp40]

Anodes with 80% silver.

You should try to get the silver content above 95% before you start the electrolytic process. At 800 fine i can only imagine that you are trying to refine European made silverware with german pitch in the handles and you didn’t clean it or melt it correctly. German pitch in nitrate electrolyte makes brown floaters like you are describing.
Dont ask how i know that. I have had a big enough trip down memory lane for the moment.

 

[Mr T]

We are using anodes 80 % silver
I think the cell needs to be balanced?

Everything was working fine, we topped up the tank with so.e more silver nitrate using nitric acid and demin water. Then it all went wrong infront of our eyes.im wondering if the acid content became too high?

 

[Gwar]

Did you add HNO3 directly to the electrolyte, I'm confused with the method you are using, from the video and my personal experience, the coloring and incident you describe is cementing IMO, what exact method are you using to begin with ?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Everything was working fine, we topped up the tank with so.e more silver nitrate using nitric acid and demin water. Then it all went wrong infront of our eyes.im wondering if the acid content became too high?

I’m puzzled with your method.
You can run Sterling directly but the electrolyte foul quickly.
This method has even less pure feed stock.
I would have dissolved it and cemented it before making the anodes.

 

[Mr T]

Did you add HNO3 directly to the electrolyte, I'm confused with the method you are using, from the video and my personal experience, the coloring and incident you describe is cementing IMO, what exact method are you using to begin with ?

Hi that's the same stuff we have floating around in our tank when it app goes wrong, weve had some cracking batches of pure silver from the cathodes, it's an electrolysis system using a rectifier, anodes and cathodes. Were using 160 amps and about 2 volts.

 

[kurtak]

Everything was working fine, we topped up the tank with so.e more silver nitrate using nitric acid and demin water. Then it all went wrong infront of our eyes.im wondering if the acid content became too high?

Per the bold print - that would be my guess

Kurt

 

[Mr T]

Per the bold print - that would be my guess

Kurt

I thought the same, I tried testing the ph but our electrical tester was going crazy, could this be with the rectifier?
What ph am I looking my rank to be set to?

 

[kurtak]

Hi that's the same stuff we have floating around in our tank when it app goes wrong,

Per the bold print - I have NO idea what you are talking about here - what is app

weve had some cracking batches of pure silver from the cathodes

Per the bold print - what are cracking batches

Kurt

 

[Mr T]

Sorry meant to say all, cracking as in a good amount of pure silver attached to the cathodes.

 

[Golddigger76]

Its hard for me to understand your slang.
Please use language that we and everyone using a translating program can understand m

 

[Yggdrasil]

Sorry meant to say all, cracking as in a good amount of pure silver attached to the cathodes.

I agree with Golddigger, do not use slang as many rely on translators here.
It is a bit hilarious though, that Americans are complaining of British slang in the English language