# Glycerine?



## ritehere (Feb 25, 2012)

Exactly why is the glycerine used in the cell video? I mean what does it do for the process?


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## jimdoc (Feb 25, 2012)

It is not needed. I don't think anyone has come up with a sure answer of why it was included in the early cell instructions.

Jim


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## ritehere (Feb 25, 2012)

OK thanks for the quick response


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## Geo (Feb 25, 2012)

in the beginning :lol: it was assumed that it would act like a kind of flux and absorb any impurities in the electrolyte. in controlled lab conditions, it probably did a fair job of it. but in practical use it turns out that the impurities were alot more prevalent and the addition of glycerin helped little if at all. glycerin in a sulfuric stripping cell will cause impurities to rise to the surface and create a type of slurry that could be scooped off but this was perfected using cells that used gallons of electrolyte and pounds of material at a time.


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## goldsilverpro (Feb 25, 2012)

A little forum history. 

Before the forum started, some yo-yo on eBay sold a process for sulfuric stripping (and still does, I think) and, for some weird reason, he added glycerin. It's still a mystery why. We have mulled it over and over. It's certainly not needed. Sort of a placebo. Personally, I think it was added to make it unique and get a patent, which he claims to have (Probably BS. I asked him for a patent number and never got it). The forum started 5 years ago and the first big topic of conversation was the sulfuric stripper. The process discussed on the forum was basically an exact copy of the eBay guy's process. During this time, lazersteve, in his processes, added glycerin. No one, at that time, knew it wasn't needed.

The original patent of this process, done in 1940, didn't even mention glycerin.
http://www.google.com/patents/US2185858?printsec=abstract&dq=2185858&ei=OZRJT5_VNbKCsgKz-qHrCA#v=onepage&q=2185858&f=false

I joined the forum about a month after it started. I had been using the sulfuric stripper, on a large industrial scale, for many applications, since the early 70s. At one point, with jet engine scrap, I used a 250 gallon tank of concentrated sulfuric. One of the first things I noticed on the forum, was the use of glycerin. I immediately told everyone it wasn't needed, which it wasn't. Since then, many tried it without glycerin, found it worthless, and stopped using it, including Steve. For those history buffs, search out the early posts of the forum.

Just use Steve's process on his website, but FORGET ABOUT THE GLYCERIN! It will work fine.


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## Geo (Feb 25, 2012)

i was citing a paper i found called "PROCESSES AND BATHS FOR ELECTRO-STRIPPING PLATED METAL DEPOSITS FROM ARTICLES" it also says the glycerin was used to inhibit attack of base metal by acids.all but that sounds about right. but it talks about stripping titanium and tantalum. i guess you can paint a chicken yellow and call it a duck if you can get by with it.


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## goldsilverpro (Feb 26, 2012)

Geo said:


> i was citing a paper i found called "PROCESSES AND BATHS FOR ELECTRO-STRIPPING PLATED METAL DEPOSITS FROM ARTICLES" it also says the glycerin was used to inhibit attack of base metal by acids.all but that sounds about right. but it talks about stripping titanium and tantalum. i guess you can paint a chicken yellow and call it a duck if you can get by with it.



That's patent #3793172. This is basically a strong fluoboric acid stripper. Although I only scanned it, I see no mention of sulfuric acid. Apples and oranges.


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## Westerngs (Feb 26, 2012)

I have never heard of glycerine use either. But I have heard of using small amounts of organics in some refining cells.

Some years ago I set up an electrolytic cell to refine Indium. My anode was 98% In and the electrolyte was 100 g/l In in nitric. The In would not plate on the cathode correctly, it would make a mud that would just slide off.

After reading some more I found a reference to organics added to the electrolyte, but no exact reference as to what. I tried several things, some worked better than others. Eventually, adding 1 g/l of wood glue gave me a nice hard In plate, not unlike gold from a gold refining cell.

I never did set up to refine Indium on a large scale.

I know of other uses for organics in silver refining cells.


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## butcher (Feb 26, 2012)

That is funny cannot get those pesky little Ion's to stick to the cathode glue them on.


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