# silver coated copper wire



## Gold Trail (Sep 10, 2009)

I have several pounds of aero space grade silver coated copper wire. 

it looked good, but when i melted a foot of it it appears to be mostly copper. however, i swear i see 
a trace of gold in this material. the cupel i used was new, never used

I think this may have been covered before and i read some topics on it but still have a few questions

I know the following, compliments of this forum and Hoke

1- nitric acid will disolve copper and silver

2- copper will cement silver from nitic acid

3- nitric acid is expensive

4- this type of material is most likely not proffitable to process

so my questions are this

A- if i were to disolve this material in nitric, would the disolved copper cement the silver out?


B- what if i were to hang short pieces over a bucket and gently heat it would the silver drip off into the bucket? leaving the copper?

C- Am i just being redidculous in this whole idea and should just sell this material as # 2 coated copper and get on with worring more about gold and other more viable ideas?

seiriously, if this an un worthy cause dont be afraid to say so, nicely please. i have never really messed with silver yet and i am just tossing around some ideas

Ryan


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## butcher (Sep 10, 2009)

silver is cheap, save it for when copper prices boom, sounds like you already know the answers to your question, heck do some expieriments for fun.
but don't make the mistake I do getting into a battle with these metals so intrigued and blinded by the struggle, that a month or two of time goes by, and for all them hours, I have finally suceeded in getting the metals, So what my time was worth less than a penny an hour or for a day's labor , heck had fun and I done it, But I'm not sure if I won or not though.
Gsp maybe he can advise here the aircraft stuff may be different.


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## scrapman1077 (Sep 10, 2009)

use it for inquartation of you karat scrap


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## lunker (Sep 15, 2009)

Glod Trail,

I have run lots of this type of material.
I have found that if you steam it with your acid peroxide strip solution, Or a weak nitric solution. Over time the plating will start to flake off. I am in no way saying that this is a commercially viable way of extracting silver. I do it while I strip gold items in my crock pot. . i placed a pail on top and put a strainer in the bottom to allow the vapours to flow up and make contact. After a week or three i allow the scrap to dry out throughly.It will be green and scummy looking. I tumble it in a clean five gallon pail. The silver and much copper carbonate? flakes off. I collect the solids and run some hcl and water to wash off the copper residues. I dry it and add it to my other silver scrap.like I say a rather involved process for a small amount of silver but it's a hobby, Not a career! 

Best of luck!


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## Chumbawamba (Sep 18, 2009)

butcher said:


> but don't make the mistake I do getting into a battle with these metals so intrigued and blinded by the struggle, that a month or two of time goes by, and for all them hours, I have finally suceeded in getting the metals, So what my time was worth less than a penny an hour or for a day's labor , heck had fun and I done it, But I'm not sure if I won or not though.



You did win. You won knowledge and experience, the most precious commodities of all.


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## Gold (Sep 18, 2009)

Would this not work guys ?

Since it's mostly copper and little silver how about this.

Melt the wire and make cornflake's or small shot from it.
Then treat it with the A.P. Method. All we are trying to do is separate the copper from the silver.
When the copper dissolves away it will leave the silver in the bottom of the container as a precipitant.
Then you filter the solution to recover your silver. Reverse inquartation.  

Hey, can i trade mark that. One another note has anyone seen this page before. :arrow: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/depletio.htm


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