SS bowl silver cell problems

i used to get beautiful large Crystals growing all over the bowl but for some reason i now get soft fluffy redddish brown fiber looking stuff. I have taken the fluffy crystals and rinsed dried and melted them and they look very beautiful. My problem is i can only run the cell for a few hours before i have to remove these reddish brown crystals. When it dries it looks like cemeted silver from copper plate.


Im using approximate 475g of Au in 4L of electrolyte. 1.8amp @3.1v .

What feedstock do you run and how much have you put through it?

It just started about an hour ago. I use shot that is cemented from copper to make electrolyte and to put in anode bag. My electrolyte has almost no copper I'm it. I'm sure there is trace amounts because I use copper to cement but my electrolyte is clear. I have ran this same way a lot and never had this problem. I am starting to lean towards my power supply.


I'm the picture you will notice towards the center of the bowl there is a ring around the entire bowl that it is growing slower but with the darker crystals.

At first the crystals were reddish brown now they are a dull grey with small shiny specs.

Thanks

Ps. I'm going to try to get some better pics.

i had to take a glass rid and clear the bottom of the bowl so that the silver fibers didn't touch the anode bag. The

What kind of power supply are you using? Is it a new filter bag and what is it made of?

I'm using a 5 micron poly filter with one coffee filter easier cleaning. and the power supply car battery charger with amperage and voltage control knobs. It isn't digital and I'm waiting for the new rectifier to get here but it has worked Perfectly up until a week or so ago.

So you have been using the exact same materials, concentration, and setup with no changes?

Might be a stupid question but you are using distilled water only correct?

Absolutely using distilled water. Not a stupid question. Originally when it happened the first time I thought maybe I used tap water but I did everything over again the same way I normally do make sure I payed attention to everything.

stupid question #2

are you using a good quality SS bowl ? or a walmart special ?

Not a stupid question#2 ..haha. Yes it is a cheap walmart special bowl. . Does this matter? I used my other Wally world bowl for about 4 or 5 weeks almost none stop. What type of bowl or ss vessel would you recommend ?

M6MR&R said:

Not a stupid question#2 ..haha. Yes it is a cheap walmart special bowl. . Does this matter? I used my other Wally world bowl for about 4 or 5 weeks almost none stop. What type of bowl or ss vessel would you recommend ?

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Will a magnet stick to the bowl?

i don't have a cell but i do use SS to dissolve de-plated foils / parts in nitric acid.
first one was a walmart bowl, it did not last 5 minutes. i then bought a Betty Crocker bowl from Canadian Tire. its been great

i have noticed that most products "made for walmart" are crappy.

you can also use items used in restaurants, for there kitchens or hot tables.

the colour you see is the bowl dissolving. it will end up all over the floor.

a magnet will not stick to a good SS bowl

You want to use nonmagnetic stainless 304L.


Lou

yes a magnet sticks to the bowl. Not very well but it is slightly attracted to it.

there you go. problem solved.

when I melt what's in the picture I get beautiful bars but I have to clean out every few hours.

Yea but you are playing with a ticking time bomb. It is only a matter of time before the bowl will probably fail.

Barren Realms 007 is correct, please don't let the next question be: "how do i get 50 toz of silver out of a concrete slab"

with a magnet go buy a new bowl & be a happy camper.

if you continue using your cell you are defeating it's purpose and making more problems. it's used to purify the silver, not make it dirty.
your current method is:

1 clean the silver with the cell,
2 silver is getting dirty with the cell,
3 clean the silver with the cell,
4 silver is getting dirty with the cell, and so on.

i would bet that it's more dirty now then before it first went into the cell.

M6MR&R said:

yes a magnet sticks to the bowl. Not very well but it is slightly attracted to it.

Click to expand...

If you're using a rare earth magnet, that may not be the problem. All of the 300 series stainless alloys that have been cold worked will be slightly magnetic. If you find an ALNICO magnet sticks, yeah, it's the wrong grade of stainless.

It is most desirable that you use a bowl made of one of the 300 series alloys. While Lou made mention of 304L, assuming you can find one, 316L would be even better, as it offers a greater chemical resistance, although 304 would serve perfectly well. 304 or 316 (without the L) will serve well, too, unless you expect to do some welding on the vessel. The L indicates a lower carbon content, which is already VERY low without the designation.

Some stainless items display the alloy from which they are made. Look underneath to see if you see any numbers.

Harold