# silver cell confusion



## lee501 (Mar 18, 2012)

well guys iam confused lee501 here new to the forum. i have been studying the silver cell post and have a question. i understand the the reason of using sterling for the anode to refine that sterling to retrieve the pure silver right? but whats the reason for some of the pure silver anode bars i see some of the cells using. its already pure no refineing needed. is there any true growth going on there? for example if they use one once pure anode bars are they retrieveing two once of crystal growth. thanks for any help on this subject. lee


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## Geo (Mar 18, 2012)

the reason the silver cell is used is to bring purity to .9999. sterling and .925 have other metals such as hardeners and brighteners such as Rhodium to brighten.by dissolving the impure silver and cementing with clean copper, you bring the purity of the silver high enough that it doesn't foul the electrolyte during processing.silver bullion has to be .999 (i believe) to be considered bullion.if your goal is to sell to a refiner, then there's no need for you to use a silver cell.if on the other hand you want to achieve the kind of results Kadriver has, then you will have to learn how to operate the cell.cemented silver can be as high as .995 under perfect conditions (im not perfect) so thats as far as some of the home refiners will ever go.


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## lee501 (Mar 19, 2012)

thanks for the reply geo. my goal is to make a few bucks.and enjoy myself as well.iam still not sure about the growth of these cells if any. i have a copy of laser steves dvd enroute may be this will answer some questions. thanks lee


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## martyn111 (Mar 19, 2012)

lee501 said:


> iam still not sure about the growth of these cells if any.



Lee, I think you maybe confusing the use of the word 'growth' in this situation.



lee501 said:


> is there any true growth going on there? for example if they use one once pure anode bars are they retrieveing two once of crystal growth.


 
If you are starting with an anode of 995 silver weighing 100grams, you have 99.5 grams of silver and .5 grams copper, palladium etc
After running the anode through the cell you will finish up with 99.5grams of silver crystals (9999 pure) and .5 grams of slimes (in a perfect world). 

The word growth in this context refers to the growth of the crystal structure rather than a growth in weight.

Hope this helps to clear your confusion.


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## lee501 (Mar 19, 2012)

thanks martyn that helps


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## philddreamer (Mar 19, 2012)

Hi Lee!

I hope you are aware of the hazards & dangers of handling the acids that are been used for recovering & refining precious metals, ESPECIALLY nitric acid. You should do the work under a fume hood or outside... 
Read thoughroughly the SAFETY posts and learn how to handle & store the chemicals. Have you read Hoke's yet?

Take care & be safe!

Phil


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## lee501 (Mar 19, 2012)

thanks for the replay phil. no hoke yet but i will take precations when i start. but iam still confused about the pure silver anode bars i see kadriver useing whats the point? if i use 1oz. pure anode bar to get 1oz. of pure crystal growth weres the profit at? thanks for any help lee


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## element47 (Mar 19, 2012)

You're not seeing "pure" anode bars, you're seeing cemented silver melted into ingots used as anodes. You're seeing 95-98% pure anodes converted into .99x crystals grown under electrolysis. Crystallization, generically, typically produces very pure substances. The anode, held inside a permeable membrane, loses some impurities as slimes on the membrane, and some others are dissolved into the electrolyte. But the crystals themselves are remarkably pure. You're right, there would be little point in using .999 anodes. The desire is to use the cleanest silver you can produce outside the cell for anodes, because copper (probably the most common pollutant) degrades the electrolyte. 90% silver coins degrade the electrolyte pretty quickly. Sterling, a little less quickly. The cleaner the anode, the longer your electrolyte will last.


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## lee501 (Mar 19, 2012)

ok thanks element47 this clear some things up. but does'nt look like much profit margin to me. thanks lee


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