# Deplating silver using Ammonium Nitrate?



## silvermama (Mar 27, 2012)

On a group that I belong to, the following method was posted for deplating silver and I wanted to get your take on it:

" I get silver from silverplated stuff at the flea market. I deplate it using a paint sponge with a
stainless steel butter knife blade inserted into the sponge and soaking it with an electrolytic
solution (ammonium nitrate). Using a 12 volt battery attached to the knife blade and the piece to be
deplated I just rub the sponge until I can see the copper appear. Squeeze the sponge into a container, resoak the sponge and repeat. This 
way is more labor intensive than just soaking it in a bath but a bath doesn't remove the silver evenly and attacks
the other metals before it can get to all of the silver. That is why my silver had so much lead in it. This way you
can control the stripping. I have just started doing this procedure and have a quart of liquid silver paste accumulated."

What say you...feasible?


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## Harold_V (Mar 28, 2012)

silvermama said:


> What say you...feasible?


Not being familiar with the process, and not being a chemist, I can't judge the procedure, but if you are achieving success, actually accumulating silver, yeah, thumbs up. My only real concern is the time involved. If you're doing this for a hobby, and enjoy the required functions, go for it. However, I question how much work you can get done in an hour. The value of the silver recovered may be too low to warrant the time invested. That's a judgment call you'd have to make, assuming you're not trying to make a living. I expect that wouldn't work so long as you can't strip in volume. There's just not all that much silver present when the pieces are new, so you'd recover even less. Care to address that issue?

Harold


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## nickvc (Mar 28, 2012)

Harold reading your response made me smile as exactly the same thoughts went through my mind when I read his post. Maybe we are just old cynics but I can't see the point in recovering or refining something that doesn't make economical sense but then the forum consists of many members doing just that with e scrap, which I avoided and still do unless in very large volume, but I was refining commercially, like you, so I suppose that's the difference. Many members will never make a profit if the time is costed into the equation and yet I'd say that many of them know more about refining than I do and continue with what for them is a fascinating hobby with something of value to show for all their hard work. Whatever I now do I do the bare minimum to achieve the desired product to sell at the highest price, for many that's taking the fun and learning away from the equation.


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## Harold_V (Mar 28, 2012)

Yeah, Nick, we have an obligation to support the efforts of these guys, but to keep things in perspective. 

Like you, I avoided e scrap like the plague when I refined, processing only a few small batches through the years, but never discarding anything that came my way free. I knew I couldn't make a profit, plus I was too busy with refining karat gold and silver to spend much time on the low grade e scrap, but I fully understand that, to some, it's a way away from their daily grind, returning not only a little value, but a great feeling of accomplishment. We can see that every time a new readers (proudly) posts a picture of his/her first button. 

I have long enjoyed your posts, Nick. You are gifted with an unordinary sense of balance in these matters. 

Harold


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