AgCl to elemental with lye only?

[jaun]

I took some silver chloride, added water and some sodium hydroxide (lye) and it turned to elemental silver without kyro syrup (turned brown)
It melted well too.
Can someone please explain this? :shock:
Thanks

 

[goldsilverpro]

The brown is silver oxide. It breaks down easily to elemental silver with the heat.

 

[jaun]

Thanks GSP, I’ll definitely use this method in future.

 

[Lino1406]

react with NaOH. I suppose most of it remained
it melts easier than Ag