# Silver chloride



## tylerplyler (Apr 5, 2017)

A friend of mine gave me some dry silver chloride, any idea on how to turn it back to metal? I though about trying to just smelt it, but been reading different things. I seen a video on adding lye and karo to it. I really don't want to mess it up.


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## Lou (Apr 5, 2017)

Grind it fine with carbonate.

At least 200 mesh


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## Lino1406 (Apr 6, 2017)

And here is the result. Holes are from evolving gases, O2, CO2


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## tylerplyler (Apr 9, 2017)

Is that from just melting it.down?? If so can it be re melted down to get rid of the holes?


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## 4metals (Apr 9, 2017)

Molten silver can absorb more than its volume of oxygen when it is molten and it spits it all out when it cools. That is why it has all of the holes. 

Because this was dry silver chloride adding the carbonate and grinding it fine so there was good contact between the silver chloride and the carbonate the molten silver will absorb all of the gasses and there is not much you can do to stop it.

What you can do, is remelt the silver and prevent the silver from exposure to oxygen while it is in the furnace and while it is poured into the mold. This is usually done by using a flame over the furnace to burn the oxygen over the crucible holding the molten silver so it is not available to the molten silver to be absorbed. Additionally pouring through a flame into your mold further eliminates the potential for any oxygen to be absorbed, once the bar skims over solidifying, the flame can be shut off. The flame is not hot enough to prevent the silver from solidifying. If the silver cannot absorb any oxygen it has none to spit and the bars are much nicer.


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## DylanDownright84 (Apr 15, 2017)

I've adopted that very technique when pouring molten silver into an ingot mold. I still can't seem to get a flat pour on the bottom (when the molten silver first hits the bottom of the mold) and there's always uneven spots. They just appear as round indents and/or pot marks where the silver didn't fully fill in. Is there a technique to remedy this issue?


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## Topher_osAUrus (Apr 15, 2017)

DylanDownright84 said:


> I've adopted that very technique when pouring molten silver into an ingot mold. I still can't seem to get a flat pour on the bottom (when the molten silver first hits the bottom of the mold) and there's always uneven spots. They just appear as round indents and/or pot marks where the silver didn't fully fill in. Is there a technique to remedy this issue?



Do you heat the mold? And how do you pour it? 

And, do you want to sell your silver bars? If so, send me a PM


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## Palladium (Apr 15, 2017)

Have you got a picture of the top of the bar?


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## Palladium (Apr 15, 2017)

Hey Topher! I haven't forgotten about your pm sir.
I'm just busy as a long tail cat in a rock chair convention right now!


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## Topher_osAUrus (Apr 15, 2017)

Palladium said:


> Hey Topher! I haven't forgotten about your pm sir.
> I'm just busy as a long tail cat in a rock chair convention right now!


No worries, get ahold of me whenever is convenient for you. If it's late, you can still call or text. I just got the silver cornflaked yesterday, and in the cell this morning, so I am a bit behind myself. Not enough hours in the day, eh?  

But I really would like to buy his pretty silver ingot, void spaces or not! :mrgreen:


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## DylanDownright84 (Apr 16, 2017)

I keep the flame on the silver as I pour it, but haven't tried heating the mold. I could set up my propane torch and have it heating the mold while I'm melting the silver. Would that work? And sorry, I don't sell my bars, not yet at least; ). I'm still learning my craft and technique and ive only made a handful of them.


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## Sharding757 (Mar 6, 2018)

I know this post is a little old but figured I'd offer. Though I have never done this, I have been working on the research of it along with a great deal of many things. Take this link with a grain of salt unless some of the more experienced pros actually indicate a particular practice that works. I'm thinking that heating the mold to a temp 200-400 degrees higher than the silver as one person indicates may be in the right direction in which to go. But some say (Hauser and miller) that As a rule, the mold should be 800 °F to 1000 °F below the melting point of the metal at the time of casting. So I'm not that sure. All in all here is a link of some jewelers discussing the very same matter of pouring silver into molds and having it not come out just quite as they expected. I myself wonder if during pouring, if an inert gas such as argon was lightly wisped across the mold if this might help to displace the oxygen enough get a better looking product. Then again not knowing the process to a full extent, I may well be talking out my....well you know.  Here's the link:https://orchid.ganoksin.com/t/mold-casting-of-silver/4371/16
Here is also the url for Hauser and miller http://www.hauserandmiller.com/reference/casting.html


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## Topher_osAUrus (Mar 6, 2018)

The oxygen is already adsorbed (absorbed? -semantics) at the time of the pour... silver, when molten, picks up lots and lots of oxygen, it only becomes immiscible upon solidification. The inert atmosphere would therefor need to be present during the melt. Having it over the pour would do nothing to prevent its initial mixing with the metal.

There are lots of other ways to skin that cat though. Many of them are much simpler and cheaper than rigging that kind of set up.


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## Sharding757 (Mar 6, 2018)

Like I said


> I may well be talking out my....


 Anything is worth a try in posting something especially if it provokes other ideas that are better.


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## Lou (Mar 7, 2018)

Just putting a graphite crucible over the melt or stirring it with a graphite rod helps.

In industrial practice, the silver can run through a rich flame.


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## rickbb (Mar 7, 2018)

I use 2 torches, one setup to keep the mold under flame both preheats the mold and burns up the O2 during the pour. The second torch that does the melt I keep on the melt during the pour, both to keep it hot and rob the O2 from it. Makes pretty bars.

Might not work well for large pours, but you big timers have already figured it out for your setup.


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## g_axelsson (Mar 11, 2018)

Topher_osAUrus said:


> The oxygen is already adsorbed (absorbed? -semantics) at the time of the pour... silver, when molten, picks up lots and lots of oxygen, it only becomes immiscible upon solidification. The inert atmosphere would therefor need to be present during the melt. Having it over the pour would do nothing to prevent its initial mixing with the metal.
> 
> There are lots of other ways to skin that cat though. Many of them are much simpler and cheaper than rigging that kind of set up.


As I understand it, adsorbed is on the surface on a substance. Absorbed is trough the bulk of the substance (liquid or solid).

So in this case it definitely is absorbed.

Göran


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## saadat68 (Aug 31, 2018)

Hi
I try to reduce some silver chloride to silver metal 
I add some battery acid and some nails. Some chlorides reduce to metal. 
I add some more nails and then I get a green solution
Before I tried this method without any problem.

1- My silver chlorides will reduce?
2- Why I get this green solution? Excess sulfuric or nitric?
Thanks
http://uupload.ir/files/3sm9_img_20180831_205548.jpg


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## Lou (Aug 31, 2018)

Yes your AgCl will reduce. The green is copperas or ferrous sulfate.


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## saadat68 (Sep 6, 2018)

After some washing I had approximately clear solution 
But when I add some water again to silver powders I get some brown solution and green sludge on the silver powders!
What are these?

http://uupload.ir/files/byp_img_20180906_185710.jpg

http://uupload.ir/files/a6e_img_20180905_133727.jpg

I think they are iron hydroxide. Do I must wash silver powder in Filter or in bucket ?
(I washed them in bucket several times)


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## snoman701 (Sep 6, 2018)

That silver chloride is not ready to melt. First, it's not washed well enough. 

When silver chloride clumps, the outer particles will convert using sulfuric/iron method, but the particles on the inside of the surface will not. You absolutely have to crush all of those little chunks to expose the silver chloride to sulfuric acid. This is why tumbling with scrap steel is so beneficial. It acts like a ball mill. 

I can also tell you from experience that ball bearings are not the best material to tumble it in, if you are tumbling in a bucket. Lou's posts specifically state that punch blanks are good...and I can see why. In a bucket, if angled and rotated, you end up with silver chloride caking in to the corners. The punchings would be able to get in to the corners and break up the cake.


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## saadat68 (Sep 7, 2018)

Good trick I didn't know that
Thanks
After crushing I see some white traces 
http://uupload.ir/files/57ey_img_20180907_160005.jpg


How I must wash these powders? In filter paper or in bucket? With decant or without decant?
I can't find posts about this with search box

Thank you


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## vjodhani (Dec 20, 2018)

4metals said:


> Molten silver can absorb more than its volume of oxygen when it is molten and it spits it all out when it cools. That is why it has all of the holes.
> 
> Because this was dry silver chloride adding the carbonate and grinding it fine so there was good contact between the silver chloride and the carbonate the molten silver will absorb all of the gasses and there is not much you can do to stop it.
> 
> What you can do, is remelt the silver and prevent the silver from exposure to oxygen while it is in the furnace and while it is poured into the mold. This is usually done by using a flame over the furnace to burn the oxygen over the crucible holding the molten silver so it is not available to the molten silver to be absorbed. Additionally pouring through a flame into your mold further eliminates the potential for any oxygen to be absorbed, once the bar skims over solidifying, the flame can be shut off. The flame is not hot enough to prevent the silver from solidifying. If the silver cannot absorb any oxygen it has none to spit and the bars are much nicer.


What 4metals says is actually correct about blowing a torch to cut oxygen supply gives good surface finish.Also if you want to prevent blowholes u can blacken the mould with D.A. Cylinder (Acetylene gas) and preheat.This reduces blowholes as well as gives good surface finish.Trial and tested million times.


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## ION 47 (Dec 21, 2018)

4metals said:


> Molten silver can absorb more than its volume of oxygen when it is molten and it spits it all out when it cools. That is why it has all of the holes.
> 
> Because this was dry silver chloride adding the carbonate and grinding it fine so there was good contact between the silver chloride and the carbonate the molten silver will absorb all of the gasses and there is not much you can do to stop it.
> 
> What you can do, is remelt the silver and prevent the silver from exposure to oxygen while it is in the furnace and while it is poured into the mold. This is usually done by using a flame over the furnace to burn the oxygen over the crucible holding the molten silver so it is not available to the molten silver to be absorbed. Additionally pouring through a flame into your mold further eliminates the potential for any oxygen to be absorbed, once the bar skims over solidifying, the flame can be shut off. The flame is not hot enough to prevent the silver from solidifying. If the silver cannot absorb any oxygen it has none to spit and the bars are much nicer.



to protect the silver melt from oxygen, it is enough to put a few pieces of charcoal into the crucible (on which the meat is fried in the grill). When you pour metal, the flame of propane will help.


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