# Feasibility of silver solder and a few other questions



## buckdec (Dec 4, 2011)

Ic done a bit of reading through the forums and other places for the last month didn't really know much about refining before that so sorry if I get some things wrong. So at my work we use brass solder with 15% silver and I can get about 10 lbs a week probly from just floor sweepings. So I was wondering is there a method other then nitric acid that would be cheaper to get the silver out or is that the only way to get it out? Also I know there's zinc in it I'm not sure of the amount but will it hinder the process at all? And since the solder is mainly copper when I dissolve it in the nitric acid if I keep adding more solder wouldn't the silver drop out skipping the whole copper rod step? Now when you refine it will the full 15% be extracted or will some get lost along the way? So is it actually worth doing or would it cost more then the silver is worth? I will probly have more questions but that is all I can think of right now.


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## qst42know (Dec 4, 2011)

Whether it is worth it or not depends on the cost of your nitric acid. Do you have a source?


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## buckdec (Dec 4, 2011)

The bet for prices that I have found so far is http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=nitric


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## philddreamer (Dec 4, 2011)

If my math was right, that's about 21+ T oz a week from 10lbs of solder...? 

I haven't been processing material for the past 3 mos. since my son can be loosing the house that we rent from him to the bank, so I haven't finished setting up the "lab", but I did a test dissolving some silver/tin in HCl, (like making stannous solution) & I had silver on the bottom. The tin in solution cement with iron. Just a thought.

As soon as I find out the outcome of the "house", I will continue with this process & also refining my silver (about 100 T oz.) in the half gallon cell.

Take care!

Phil


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## buckdec (Dec 4, 2011)

Ya it's around 20 t oz a week and thats why I wanna figure a way to get the silver cause as of right now it's just going into the garbage. Does anyone have an idea of how much nitric would be needed to dissolve 1 lbs of solder?


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## qst42know (Dec 4, 2011)

If my estimates are right there is about .45 pounds of silver in 3 pounds of this material and that will consume approximately 1 gallon of nitric. You will need to cement on copper or collect as silver chloride. 

If your employer is currently throwing this away and you have permission to take it, they may well quickly change their minds if you reveal there is money to be had from recycling it. Your interest in this material might be enough to tip them off, it's a slippery slope indeed.


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## Geo (Dec 4, 2011)

you may be able to stretch that amount of nitric out some with a few little tips from the forum. my advise would be to remove as much copper as possible using hcl acid and peroxide (AP) this process shouldnt dissolve the silver unless you get some form of nitrate in your solution. AP to remove as much copper as possible then rinse and incinerate and dissolve with dilute nitric acid 50/50 with distilled water.


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## buckdec (Dec 5, 2011)

Actually geo I found your other post about brenntag and they have a warehouse by my work and they will sell me a 20 gal nitric for 150$ so I won't need to make it stretch I don't think. and they didn't know anything about your 5 gal keg but I'm in Canada so might account for the difference.


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## qst42know (Dec 5, 2011)

It will work better at 50/50, nitric/distilled water.


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