# melting down sterling



## whitesid (Jan 18, 2008)

i have about a pond of sterling scrap that i want to melt down into a bar. can i just melt it or do i need to mix it with something to keep it form oxidizing?


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## Noxx (Jan 18, 2008)

It will oxidize when you melt so do it fast or melt it in an inert atmosphere


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## Harold_V (Jan 19, 2008)

Melting it to a bar isn't a sound idea. Right now I'm assuming you can prove the content by the markings. Once you've melted the silver, it will become nothing more than silver bearing scrap, and will actually lose value on the market. There is no advantage to melting silver unless you intend to refine it. 

Silver is difficult to oxidize, but has a terrible affinity for oxygen. It will absorb something like 9 times its volume when molten, in the pure state, but readily discharges it as it cools. That changes when copper is added. The silver will melt quite well, but you should expect a fair amount of fire coat, depending on how long it takes you to melt the silver, and how you melt it. If you cover the lot with charcoal, it will remain quite bright. 

Harold


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