# dissolve sterling per hoke book question



## MR.ED (Aug 17, 2010)

Ok i have read the large 380 page hook book and found that instead of using the exspensive nitric acid with distilled water to disolve my sterling. I could use Concentrated Sulhuric acid (Drain cleaner) on my sterling as long as the sterling contains less the 10% copper (Which sterling if marked should be only 9.25%). 

Here is a qoute from the book ....

*"but it is suitable only when the added metal is silver, when the copper content of the resulting button is 10% or less, and when the lead content is low. Sulphuric acid is cheaper than nitric,"*

So why couldnt i use the cheaper Sulphuric acid to disolve the sterling into solution??


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## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Aug 17, 2010)

Yes Sir,sulphuric is cheaper than nitric..but you must heat the solution because cold sulphuric acid does not dissolve silver,besides,silver sulphate is less soluble than silver nitrate.

These are the reasons why nitric is prefered,anyway,you can use sulphuric or you can convert sulphuric into nitric.Take a look to Aflacglobal´s video in www.youtube.com named "making nitric acid 1 & 2"

Kindest Regards.

Manuel


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## MR.ED (Aug 17, 2010)

Hey thanks for the reply. I have made Nitric acid using sulhuric acid which would make nitric acid 50% instead of the 70% that you get from a lab.

The problem is ive tried using my 50% nitric to disolve the sterling silver and it did not work very well

A question, when i use my homemade nitric acid 50% (already mixed) do i still need to add the distilled water to get the solution working on my added sterling like you would do on using the 70% lab grade stuff? (Maybe thats where i am messing up)


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## philddreamer (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi Mr.Ed!
I tried making nitric with sulphuric & found out it doesn't work too good dissolving silver, so went and got me 70% nitric. I live in Lynnwood. I bought a case of 2.5 litres. & will sell you some. If interested, pm me. 

Phil


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## lazersteve (Aug 17, 2010)

Homemade nitric will work for silver if you remove the chlorides from it with powdered silver or silver nitrate before you use it. Heating is also a requirement as well as some extra distilled water.

Steve


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## MR.ED (Aug 17, 2010)

philddreamer said:


> Hi Mr.Ed!
> I tried making nitric with sulphuric & found out it doesn't work too good dissolving silver, so went and got me 70% nitric. I live in Lynnwood. I bought a case of 2.5 litres. & will sell you some. If interested, pm me.
> 
> Phil


Hi Phil i live in Bothell and i will buy a 2.5 liter if you are willing. How can i PM you??


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## philddreamer (Aug 17, 2010)

Mr. Ed, check your inbox. I PM you my phone number.

Phil


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