New Silver cell

[command2001]

Ok - in looking at the pic of your cell set up - it "looks" like you have a "connection" problem (but pictures can be deceiving)

In other words - it "looks" like you do not have a good "solid" connection of the positive lead from the power supply to the silver in the anode basket - it looks like a "loose" connection

First of all - it looks like you are using the "poured silver shot" method for the silver in your anode basket (molten silver poured into water to make small beads of silver)

However - it looks like when you poured the silver into the water you did not do it so that it created smaller beads but rather it created "larger" blobs/chunks

So - instead of lots of small beads touching closer & tighter together - the larger blobs - though touching each other are doing so in a loose way preventing "proper" flow of the current (amps) though the silver

Also - it looks like you stuck the copper end of your positive lead wire in a pool of molten silver which then sits on top of the rest of the shot in the anode basket & that can cause a loose connection in 2 ways ------

1) if the copper wire & the silver did not actually fuzz together - then though the copper wire is stuck in the silver blob it may not be a "tight" connection of the copper with silver = loose connection preventing proper current flow

2) if the silver blob with the wire stuck in it is not heavy enough it may well be sitting on top of the rest of the shot in anode basket in a loose manner rather then sitting on top of the rest of the shot in a hard tight manner

Any one of &/or a combination of the above loose connection problems can & will prevent proper current flow

Though a lot of people use the silver shot method I am not a big fan of that method for the above reasons

I much more prefer pouring "solid" anode bars (pic provided) in that pic - the bar sitting on top of the 2 bars has a hole drilled in the top of it - that hole is then taped to thread a 10/32 brass screw into the hole --- so the lead from the power supply makes a sold connection to the brass screw - the threaded brass screw makes a solid connection with the top bar - the top bar is heavy enough that it makes a solid connection with the 2 actual anode bars

Also - other things that will limit current flow (even if you have tight connections)

Anode to cathode surface area - you have a very large cathode area (stainless steel bowl) but you have a very small anode basket so a very small anode surface area - so your small anode surface area is trying to spread a small current output across a very large cathode surface area --- in my cell you can see that my anode surface area is much larger then yours & at the same time my cathode surface area is only about two & a half times larger then my anode surface area - that means I have much more "current density" taking place in my cell

Also - it "looks" like you have several layers of cloth for your anode bag - if your anode bag is to thick/heavy it will act as an insulator preventing proper/full flow of the current (amps) through the anode bag

Finally - question - how many holes & what size holes do you have in the bottom of your anode basket - please provide a pic

I ask because if you don't have enough holes &/or the holes are not large enough you are again restricting current flow &/or current density just like to small of an anode surface area &/or to thick of an anode bag

Edit to add; - & for what it is worth - my cell (in the pics) is a 4 litter cell - the anode bars are kilo bars of silver --- so that gives you a better idea of the anode surface area to the cathode surface area

Kurt

How did you construct your cathode and it looks like your anode is only slightly in the electrolyte. Is that correct?

 

[Shark]

It is possible to at least remove some of the slimes by washing. The best method is to avoid them to start with. Especially if highest purity is the goal.

 

[sar]

I don't know if you get the answer or not , I have some advices for you :
- As the others said disconnect the red and black wires.
- Don't immerge the anode wire in the electrolyte.
- I think you have no free nitric acid in the electrolyte solution add about 30 mL acid to each liter of electrolyte.
If your rectifier is not broken your problem will be solved, I hope.