peter i said:
That’s the exact fraction in the glass on the right.
Have you tested the solution for palladium? The color is interesting, although it could be the result of other contamination, or simply the color of the combined copper and silver. Needless to say, should they be there, given enough exposure to copper, they'll be precipitated, although I found they were last, and slow, to come down. It's obvious when they do, for the color will shift to blue, and the cement will have a darker appearance, often well discolored by the values, depending on the level of concentration.
You likely know that the slimes will be heavy with silver. In reading how the "big boys" dealt with them, I gathered they were boiled in concentrated sulfuric acid in cast iron kettles to extract the remaining silver. While I have no experience in that regard, from reading I understand that cast iron is quite resistant to the acid so long as there is no water present.
The tiles are in the laundry room (wife’s territorie) so I ran quite a risk taking it there. Anything dirty normally happens in the workshop.
In my old house, a couple of the tables had purple splotches. The “staining power” of noble metals is terrifying!
Indeed. I might suggest you took your life in your hands!
Had I not sold my refining business, a complete cleaning and painting was in order for the three rooms that I occupied. I have posted a picture, below, which shows my silver cell in operation, along with the template used to cut the fabric for my filters. As in your case, my wife sewed them for me. The stains you see are from both gold and silver, to give folks an idea of how badly things can become discolored.
I found that some stains could be eliminated, or drastically reduced, by washing with a solution of cyanide. You have to balance your desire to die with the desire for stain free surfaces. Strangely, I preferred life, and quit obsessing with the stains. I slowly came to terms with the idea that it was my place of work, and it would be stained, regardless of my efforts.
I have a constant discussion going with myself regarding what trace amounts of metals to save. When running very small scale, the price of time quickly exceeds the value of a little silver chloride. On the other hand, there is the “noble sport of yield”…
I understand the dilemma------is it worth my time, or isn't it?
Well, in my case, I saved everything, right from the start. The papers you see under the cell were changed on a fairly regular basis, with the old ones incinerated, and the ash stored for future recovery of values, however small they may be.
Assuming you pursue this interest with vigor, it's hard to say how much you may put away as a savings for the future. It worked very well for me, but then I refined for many years, on a constant basis.
Silver chloride can be stored in a glass jar with a lid, until you have a substantial amount. As long as you keep it wet, it's very easy to process at your convenience. I processed mine only when I accumulated no less than a quart-----which represents a reasonable amount of value, particularly on today's market.
Hard to advise others in this area. Some people think nothing of tossing small amounts of value. Personally, I'm known to pick up a penny, or an aluminum can. You understand, of course, that I am retired and live on limited funds. It's likely different for folks that have a decent income and are strapped for time.
Harold