Can Aluminum be used as anode in a silver nitrate/Ag electrolysis cell?

[James Ball]

I thought I was buy a sheet of SS and found out it was aluminum. Then It occurred to me that aluminum might work as an anode in a silver cell.

Comments?

 

[Martijn]

Welcome to the forum.
No. The silver nitrate will cement out on the aluminum cathode in stead of electro depositing.
The anode is always the silver to be refined.

Martijn.

 

[James Ball]

Welcome to the forum.
No. The silver nitrate will cement out on the aluminum cathode in stead of electro depositing.
The anode is always the silver to be refined.

Martijn.

Ok I think I got the anode and cathode mixed up. I am still going to use silver shot and then I need another metal to act as the other electrode. I think most people use stainless steel for the other electrode. I’m wondering if I can use aluminum for the other electrode. Does this make sense?

 

[James Ball]

Ok I think I got the anode and cathode mixed up. I am still going to use silver shot and then I need another metal to act as the other electrode. I think most people use stainless steel for the other electrode. I’m wondering if I can use aluminum for the other electrode. Does this make sense?

I got to thinking about your answer. I am pretty sure you are correct. Aluminum is lower on the metal reactivity scale than copper. If copper was used in the electrolytic cell, silver would cement on it. So, aluminum being lower than copper on the metal reactivity scale would also mean silver would cement out on the aluminum maybe even faster than copper. Back to stainless steel......