Electromotive series of metal (precipitants)?

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austexjwlry

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 5, 2007
Messages
116
Electromotive Series - so called because the measurement of reactivity is made with electrical apparatus. The least reactive at the bottom and reactivity increases to the top. The metals at the top are so active that reaction with water is explosive.

Electromotive Series

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^ Potassium
Sodium
Barium
Strontium
Calcium
Magnesium
Aluminum
Manganese
Zinc
Chromium
Cadmium
Iron
Cobalt
Nickel
Tin
Lead
Hydrogen
Copper
Arsenic
Bismuth
Antimony
Mercury
Silver
Palladium
Platinum
Gold

^ Less Active

This chart helped me understand that if I use copper as metal precipitant
to recover gold from solution, I'll also drop silver,Palladium, Plat. etc..

If you use aluminum you drop a whole lot of other metals with it! I like to drop with copper then use aluminum to drop copper, etc.

This series is as represented as in Small scale refining of jewelers wastes pg 125. Does it look about right?

Wayne
 

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