# How I can make a silver cell ?



## saadat68 (Aug 17, 2016)

Hi
I searched in forum and google but I can't understand completely how make a electrolysis silver cell for making silver metal from silver solution for example silver nitrate 
Is there a tutorial in web?

Look at this image please. Is it correct ?


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## butcher (Aug 17, 2016)

saadat68, 
The forum has probably over a thousand posts that will answer that question.
See the search function at the upper right of your screen.


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## saadat68 (Aug 18, 2016)

butcher said:


> saadat68,
> The forum has probably over a thousand posts that will answer that question.
> See the search function at the upper right of your screen.


Sorry 
But I searched many and can not find a good topic. most of topic was about recovery silver from silver metal like spoon or sterling not solutions


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## butcher (Aug 18, 2016)

saadat68, 
If you ask a question you will get a very simple answer, example if you ask if winter is cold we may tell you __yes it is cold and it snows. That may be all you want is a simple answer. But you really will not learn much from the answer.

To get a good understanding it, you need to research and study, many times from as many resources or sources you can find on the subject.

The forum is a great resource but not the only one I use when I study a topic, I use many resources: Forum, google, books, libraries, and any other resource I can get my hands on.

You probably need help learning how to study, and how to use the forum search.
Try different keywords like silver cell which brings up 5,016 posts on the subject: going through those I find many more keywords to use,like electrolyte which brings up 1,986 posts, or Moebius, or Wohwill... Also try using Authors, with your searching topics like GSP as the author, or Laser Steve... and more keywords like silver cell Or Anode or Cathode...

Use google to learn how batteries work or how electrolysis works...

Like with anything we do the more we do it, the better we get, Study and research can be hard at first but gets easier with practice.

GSP, Laser Steve, Harold, Palladium, and many other members have contributed much information on these topics, spending many hours answering just about any question you will think to ask on this subject. All you have to do is find it.

They already answered thousands of questions you will have next. Why waste their time and your time asking a simple question like how cold is winter?... Just to learn the answer to one more question. When with some effort you can get a good education on this subject.

Some of the questions asked, can fill whole books of information, with even the minute details. You will not get educated on the subject from asking a hundred questions and getting a hundred simple answers. that would only lead to a thousand more questions with very little more to go on...

Once you understand the basics, and you educate yourself in the subject then asking a simple question to a problem or small detail you will get an answer that will help you.


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## goldsilverpro (Aug 18, 2016)

How much silver do you want to produce each 24 hour day. For about 15-20 oz, I would probably recommend Palladium's silver cell (about 1 gallon) videos on youtube, under his name, Aquilla Refining. For 500 oz/day, you would need a 30 gallon cell. I might note that, in a 24 hour operation, you have to attend to it every 3 or 4 hours. Better get a cot if you want those 24 hour amounts.

You might read this thread
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=28758&t=1

Here's some photos of cells on the forum.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/search.php?keywords=%22silver+cell%22+.jpg

There are two basic types of silver cells, vertical (Moebius) and horizontal (Balbach-Thum).

Most of the cells on the forum are horizontal. In these, the horizontal impure silver anode(s) is placed in a non-conductive basket about 4-4.5" above the horizontal 300 series stainless cathode. A cloth (usually) filter is placed under the dissolving anodes to catch the sludge that doesn't dissolve and prevents this sludge from contaminating the pure crystal that plates out on the stainless sheet. See my drawing in the 1st link above. The anode is made positive (red +) and the cathode is made negative (black -). The amperage should be about 25 to 50 amps per square foot (144 sq.inches) of anode suface area, measured on the bottom side of the anodes only. Pracitically, you should get about 3.5 grams of silver crystal per amp of current for each hour run. The solution should be made up with about 60 g/l of silver, dissolved in nitric acid and I feel it's best to dissolve some copper in nitric and add it - say, about 5-10 g/l, Tap water cannot be used in the cell, either for diluting the nitric or for maintaining the solution level - must be barely touching the bottoms of the anodes.

The vertical cell is much the same as the horizontal cell, except the anode(s) and cathode(s) are hung side-by-side, vertically, sort of like your drawing. For most setups, it's easier to harvest the crystal in the horizontal cell.

*NOTE*: In your drawing, it seems like you don't really want a silver cell, bur rather an electrowinning cell, where, instead of purifying impure metal, you want to extract the silver from a solution. That is a whole different ball game and is a topic best covered at a later time.


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## 4metals (Aug 18, 2016)

The answer to your question lies in the details. What are you starting with (your source of silver) and how much are you expecting to process a day?

With answers to these 2 questions we can direct you to threads where the topics are discussed thoroughly. If you still have questions, we can answer them after you answer these 2 questions and do some reading.


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## Slochteren (Aug 19, 2016)

> Hi
> I searched in forum and google but I can't understand completely how make a electrolysis silver cell for making silver metal from silver solution for example silver nitrate



I'm not sure if its my english or your english but as i read above you are mixing 2 things

"making silver metal from silver solution for example silver nitrate" and "make a electrolysis silver cell".

For the first part just put a piece of copper in your silver nitrate and cement the silver like that, after cementing and making shots from it you can run it thru a silver cell to make pure silver. 

Both technics are very well explained (at least in my opinion) on youtube by Kadriver 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bici_7jgs1w

Paul


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## saadat68 (Aug 19, 2016)

Slochteren said:


> > Hi
> > I searched in forum and google but I can't understand completely how make a electrolysis silver cell for making silver metal from silver solution for example silver nitrate
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks All 
I am sorry. I didn't know silver cell and electrowinning cell have difference. My wrong was that
But I think cement is better and cheaper way. I want to recovery silver from button cells. 
Many impurities are in my solution like ZnO, Nickel, MnO2 and ... 
Can I get silver purity above 95% with cement and melting with borax ?


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## jason_recliner (Aug 19, 2016)

Hi saadat68,

Firstly, I understand searching may be difficult for you, especially if English is not your native language. You're doing far better with English than most of us would in Farsi. But I'll choose my words carefully, and write in a way that I hope translates better.

I am not a silver expert. I don't know why you asked me for advice. I've never processed it, nor posted about it. But I have learned a lot in the past few days, just by following your questions and the answers. If I can help, I will, but others know much more.

Ag and Cu are very much less reactive than Zn, Ni and Mn. So if you use copper to cement silver from a nitrate solution, you should have a result that is good purity. Percentage I cannot tell you, as I have no experience. But 90-95% I think is reasonable to expect. Then you can either sell, or refine more. You can always sell to whomever will buy.

To achieve 99.9%, you need a silver cell. It has been discussed many times.
This is the library item: http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=22409
This post from this week is also interesting. http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=24289&hilit=999+klutz#p257342.

With your question about improving purity using borax: No. Do not think of borax as a cleaner. It may help absorb a very small amount of oxide, but it alone does not improve quality. Garbage in = garbage out. And I do not know if it does anything much with silver.


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## nickvc (Aug 19, 2016)

If I may add afew pointers for you.
If you do choose to cement the silver from solution so long as you keep any copper fragments out and wash the cement well you can achieve 98-99% purity.
If you want higher purity concert the silver to chloride by adding salt or HCl, filter and wash well and convert using any of the known methods,lye and sugar, sulphuric and iron etc, they are all detailed here on the forum. Using this method if done properly and washed very clean you can achieve 990-999 silver fairly easily.


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## saadat68 (Aug 19, 2016)

OK 
Understood
95% is acceptable. Thanks All


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