# black coat around silver; pix attached



## chandler_P (Oct 13, 2011)

Hi,

Has anyone encountered this black coat around the silver. After burning in the furnace (with graphite crucible), there were black coating around the silver. Wondering what is it (is it graphite?)?!?

CHeerio!


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## samuel-a (Oct 13, 2011)

What did you try to melt?


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## MysticColby (Oct 13, 2011)

I recently took all the AgCl I had, heated with NaOH, filtered, rinsed, mixed with Na2CO3 and borax, then melt. What I got out was a chunk of silver with black rock pieces scattered through and around it (wasn't a complete coating, but it sounded familiar: if that's how you got this black). I rationalized that the black rock was sodium chloride and/or sodium carbonate and/or borax. It didn't dissolve in water, but it did dissolve in dilute sulfuric acid, so I'm happy with the result.


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## samuel-a (Oct 13, 2011)

MysticColby said:


> I recently took all the AgCl I had



This looks like unreacted AgCl...

What ratio AgCl to Na2CO3 you used?


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## MysticColby (Oct 14, 2011)

samuel-a said:


> What ratio AgCl to Na2CO3 you used?



I'm not the original poster  just sharing an experience
I had about 50 g silver chloride that had been reacted to silver oxide and I added about 10 g sodium carbonate. I know it's recommended to do a 1 parts AgCl to 3 part Na2CO3, but I figured most of it was converted to Ag2O, and I was just picking up any stragglers, so the full amount of Na2CO3 wasn't needed. I believe I was correct, as there was zero hint of chlorine fumes coming off the melt. And the black I had dissolved in sulfuric acid, which I believe Silver chloride wouldn't...


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## stihl88 (Oct 14, 2011)

It could be the resin they use in weighted silver items.


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## sena (Oct 14, 2011)

chandler_P said:


> Hi,
> 
> Has anyone encountered this black coat around the silver. After burning in the furnace (with graphite crucible), there were black coating around the silver. Wondering what is it (is it graphite?)?!?
> 
> CHeerio!


what was the source?


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## stihl88 (Oct 14, 2011)

Actually, re-reading your post. If you heated the Silver in a furnace in a graphite crucible then it could indeed be graphite mixed in the flux.


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## Goldfinger4 (Oct 14, 2011)

Looks like borax, melted in a graphite crucible. You should use only a little bit unless you have much dirt in your silver.


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## rewalston (Oct 15, 2011)

Umm this looks like SPAM to me. First two posts I've read and I've already seen this message posted 3 times. BYE BYE

Rusty


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## MysticColby (Oct 15, 2011)

not spam - scam
well, those usually go hand-in-hand...
spam is usually legit while scam often uses the method of spam to reach as many people as possible. 7 posts on one thread seem stupid, though, as it highlights that they are not actually looking to do business.


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## goldsilverpro (Oct 15, 2011)

I just spent 15 minutes banning him and his IP and deleting his 33 duplicate posts. What a piece of garbage!


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## jimdoc (Oct 15, 2011)

Rusty, if you would delete the quote from your post the guy would be gone completely.
We don't want people like that here even a little bit.

Jim


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## rewalston (Oct 15, 2011)

Done


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