Silver Cell 5

[ModernAlchemy]

Split half the electrolyte cemented out one half and stated a 1L silver cell to see how far I can go with it . I made up some make up solution To replace the evaporated electrolyte . 100ml distilled water plus KNO3 made hydroxides .
KNO3+H2O-> KOH+ H(NO3)
Tested this twice
Then added KNO3 straight into the solution .
Not sure how KNO3+AuHNO reacts
But no hydroxides were formed 2 tablespoons added to hot solution . Crystal growth did improve on a cathode spot that was not insulated from the solution and was close to the anode basket .

Edited for grammar mistake

I’m going to have to try this!!

 

[BGDOCK]

I’m going to have to try this!!

2 teaspoons and 2 eye droppers of nitric acid (6 ml?)

 

[James Ball]

So I finally used a 4L stainless steel bowl.
Silver crystals turned out ok
Heated the solution this time and added KNO3
How do you figure out the correct ratio of KNO3 to use ? I just added. Three tablespoons , next time i will give tartic acid a try.
Thanks

Split half the electrolyte cemented out one half and stated a 1L silver cell to see how far I can go with it . I made up some make up solution To replace the evaporated electrolyte . 100ml distilled water plus KNO3 made hydroxides .
KNO3+H2O-> KOH+ H(NO3)
Tested this twice
Then added KNO3 straight into the solution .
Not sure how KNO3+AuHNO reacts
But no hydroxides were formed 2 tablespoons added to hot solution . Crystal growth did improve on a cathode spot that was not insulated from the solution and was close to the anode basket .

Edited for grammar mistake

Dissolving KNO₃ in water would not yield much in the way of either KOH or HNO₃. This reaction depends on the disassociation of water into OH^- and H⁺ ions:

H₂O → H⁺ and OH^-.

KNO₃ + H⁺ + OH^- ↔ KOH + HNO₃.
AgNO₃ and KNO₃ will not react with each other.

Does an increase in NO₃^- ion help in the electrolysis of AgNO₃?

Edited for clarity

 

[BGDOCK]

I thought it was K+, Cu+ and H+ ions that helped , might need a reread / fact checking .

 

[BGDOCK]

This white precipitate formed when I added Heated DI water and KNO3 then I filtered solution which was clear then I Added spare electrolyte to this and it formed the white precipate shown below
I Took a sample of the silver cell electrolyte and repeated , the same white precipitate formed again
When I Added KNO3 to the cell no precipitate formed .

 

[BGDOCK]

 

[Yggdrasil]

This white precipitate formed when I added Heated DI water and KNO3 then I filtered solution which was clear then I Added spare electrolyte to this and it formed the white precipate shown below
I Took a sample of the silver cell electrolyte and repeated , the same white precipitate formed again
When I Added KNO3 to the cell no precipitate formed .

It looks like Silver Chloride, but your description opposes that.

 

[BGDOCK]

It looks like Silver Chloride, but your description opposes that.

I had a panic attack for a few seconds when I saw it. I was confused because I haven’t used HCl in weeks so how could it happen repeated the procedure same results . Su I drew out the reaction on paper. I think it a hydroxide . I put it to the side for now . I’m close to shutting it down running out of feed stock for this cell. Did the stainless steel bowl cell not a big fan of it and have an idea for the next silver cell.

‘ time for some coffee”
Jeff

 

[Barthel732]

What’s the difference between the two?

It’s hard to explain it to someone.

 

[ModernAlchemy]

2 teaspoons and 2 eye droppers of nitric acid (6 ml?)

So to be clear 100ml heat distilled water 2 teaspoons of Potassium Nitrate KNO3 better known as saltpeter. and 2 eyedroppers of Nitric Acid approx 6ml. Mix that up and put this in your electrolyte consisting of AgNO3 Please advise and thank you

 

[BGDOCK]

So to be clear 100ml heat distilled water 2 teaspoons of Potassium Nitrate KNO3 better known as saltpeter. and 2 eyedroppers of Nitric Acid approx 6ml. Mix that up and put this in your electrolyte consisting of AgNO3 Please advise and thank you

Yes correct
Two level teaspoons
One hour later add the nitric

 

[ModernAlchemy]

Yes correct
Two level teaspoons
One hour later add the nitric thank you

 

[ModernAlchemy]

Yes correct
Two level teaspoons
One hour later add the nitric

Thank you

 

[James Ball]

I washed my cement silver with boiling 10% sulfuric acid. I kept the acid supernatent to see if any silver sulfate formed. I added several drops of my silver nitrate electrolyte and got no precipitate. To verify that my silver nitrate was present, I added HCL to the solution. This time, as expected, I got a white precipitate when I added a few drops of my electrolyte.

I think your solution was contaminated with chloride, possibly from your distlled water that maybe not be distilled. Try adding some good silver nitrate solution to your distilled water and see if you see a precipitate.

 

[BGDOCK]

I didn't save any of the used electrolyte from this batch . So I put it outside to see if it would darken . See below . But I did try the weak sulfuric acid wash to clean up some dirty silver cement . It clean up nicely , vacuum filtered it and the put HCl in the solution .
Thanks it has to be the food lion distilled water .

Jeff

 

[Yggdrasil]

I didn't save any of the used electrolyte from this batch . So I put it outside to see if it would darken . See below . But I did try the weak sulfuric acid wash to clean up some dirty silver cement . It clean up nicely , vacuum filtered it and the put HCl in the solution .
Thanks it has to be the food lion distilled water .

Jeff

Not all "Distilled Water" is distilled, sometimes it has just been filtered and mineralized for drinking.
Most of the time it is just plain de-ionized.

 

[BGDOCK]

I will put some table salt in it later

Edited for grammar error

 

[James Ball]

I will put some table salt in it later

Edited for grammar error

I am not clear why you would put salt in your distilled water. If you are looking for chloride then you should add some silver nitrate and look for a white precipiate.

I didn't save any of the used electrolyte from this batch . So I put it outside to see if it would darken . See below . But I did try the weak sulfuric acid wash to clean up some dirty silver cement . It clean up nicely , vacuum filtered it and the put HCl in the solution .
Thanks it has to be the food lion distilled water .

Jeff

I am confused by your pictures. Did you wash your cement silver with dilute sulfuric acid and then add HCl to the wash, which caused the white precipitate in img_0560? When I washed my cement silver, I got no precipitate when I added HCl to the sulfuric acid wash. You need to wash out the sulfuric acid too, by the way.

 

[BGDOCK]

Ok one thing at a time.
I see where you going with the food loin DI water wouldn’t do anything except make salt water I really should have thought that out . I have some silver nitrate crystals how about using that?

I thought I had read that you used weak sulfuric acid to clean up your silver , so I tried that with dirty silver from a copper cell.

The 05060 jpeg file is a picture of rinse water that I tested using HCl I usually go through a gallon water if not more rinsing / cleaning up the silver

 

[James Ball]

Ok one thing at a time.
I see where you going with the food loin DI water wouldn’t do anything except make salt water I really should have thought that out . I have some silver nitrate crystals how about using that?

I thought I had read that you used weak sulfuric acid to clean up your silver , so I tried that with dirty silver from a copper cell.

The 05060 jpeg file is a picture of rinse water that I tested using HCl I usually go through a gallon water if not more rinsing / cleaning up the silver

1) yes you can use silver nitrate crystals (not silver crystals). Dissolve some in water, it is very soluble. Add a few drops to your Lions distilled water and see what happens.

2) if you mean silver crystals, then you need to dissolve some of that in nitric acid and add this solution to your Lions distilled water and see what happens.

3) Your rinse water from your cement silver should not be that cloudy when you add HCl. This means you have not cemented out all of the silver from your solution using copper. I have not tried adding HCl to my rinse water as I assumed all of the silver had cemented out. I will try that in my next batch of sterling silver.