Processing SilverPlate With H2O Cell

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solar_plasma said:
Ofcourse the mud will dissolve faster and you could dissolve a big part of the base metals first in order to save nitric. I've done that with mud from plated material.

I haven't been really happy with HCl for washing this powder since at least the Ag2O will create AgCl which adds additional steps. Dilluted H2SO4 might serve better since AgSO4 is soluble to some degree.

Still I think the H2O cell is pure recovery. For sterling it might work, it will add additional steps and you will probably be better off using straight conventional methods, if nitric isn't the problem for you.

Thank you. AG2O is I think exactly what I have here. Will probably just put it back for a bit. Have yet to experience H2SO4 and am a bit weary, but reading more about it.

I am still very limited,

Craig
 
hi there guys,just tried my silver cell try.i could not belive how fast it works.this is my first try.i will post results,ed.
 
I finally got time to read all of this at one sitting. Might I just say :shock: :mrgreen:

I've never felt good about making a sulfuric cell because of mixing acid and electric. Water and electric on the other hand, this I can do.

Let's see if I got this right.

After de-plating the silver, all I would need to do is, filter, dry and melt the powder? I was going to try HCL to clean it a bit more, but I read that it's just adding steps to the process. Also, I'm not setup safely enough to start using nitric yet.

Did anyone happen to figure out approximately how pure the resulting silver is after melting it? (without washing it first) .995, .925, .800?

Is there anything else I would need to do, to dispose of the water from the cell after filtering out the powder, besides bringing the PH back to 7? I figure it would be the same disposal process as AP.

Would a car battery charger work for this? it has the 2/10/50 setting, so it would be set on 2. I also believe that it's 12v.

Lastly, either I read something wrong, or someome was using a 9v battery for this? It's just a regular 9v battery and not some odd kind I don't know of yet right? :lol: Just like the "hotplate" I have that only goes to 300F "148C", but the ones I've read about on here go to almost 1,400F "around 750C".
 
After de-plating the silver, all I would need to do is, filter, dry and melt the powder? I was going to try HCL to clean it a bit more, but I read that it's just adding steps to the process. Also, I'm not setup safely enough to start using nitric yet.

Did anyone happen to figure out approximately how pure the resulting silver is after melting it? (without washing it first) .995, .925, .800?

I can only assume, that it is somewhere between .500 and .800. I have no practical experience with pyrometallurgy yet, but after all I read, cupeling or smelting might be options, if you want to avoid the wet way.

Is there anything else I would need to do, to dispose of the water from the cell after filtering out the powder, besides bringing the PH back to 7? I figure it would be the same disposal process as AP.

Just reuse it or let it evaporate, then you are on the safe side. Though I believe it is okay with bringing it to neutral, filter and dispose, I would never advise to dispose anything I haven't made and tested myself.

Would a car battery charger work for this? it has the 2/10/50 setting, so it would be set on 2. I also believe that it's 12v.

Lastly, either I read something wrong, or someome was using a 9v battery for this? It's just a regular 9v battery and not some odd kind I don't know of yet right? :lol: Just like the "hotplate" I have that only goes to 300F "148C", but the ones I've read about on here go to almost 1,400F "around 750C".

You are fine with any battery charger. Give it as many ampere as it wants, but be careful not to make a short circuit....would not be funny at 50A. But 10A for the beginning should be fine.
 
solar_plasma said:
I can only assume, that it is somewhere between .500 and .800. I have no practical experience with pyrometallurgy yet, but after all I read, cupeling or smelting might be options, if you want to avoid the wet way.

Just reuse it or let it evaporate, then you are on the safe side. Though I believe it is okay with bringing it to neutral, filter and dispose, I would never advise to dispose anything I haven't made and tested myself.

You are fine with any battery charger. Give it as many ampere as it wants, but be careful not to make a short circuit....would not be funny at 50A. But 10A for the beginning should be fine.


I was hoping it would be around .925 or better since the jewerly store down the road, doesn't like buying anything lower than that.

I'll just let it evaporate when I'm done using it, to save some money, instead of neutralizing it.

When I finally get the time to make one, I'll start out with it set at 2, to see how it works, then set it at 10 once I get the hang of it. I wouldn't go to 50 unless I really knew what I was doing.
 
Just a thought:

Ag20 + H20 + 2e- = 2Ag0 + 20H- 0.344V

(source: silver oxide electrodes)

Cu2O +  H2O + 2 e ⇌ 2 Cu0 + 2 OH −0.360V
the other base metal are on the negative side as well
(source: standard electrode potential)

Wouldn't this mean, that this stripping cell could be selective to silver if we avoid any side reactions by using very dilluted solution of NaOH (pH10) at a low voltage? Or did I overlook/misunderstand anything?

I guess I am hooked again :D
 
What is the cathode half cell, is it Na/Na+ at -2.71V against H2?

If so, then a Cu/CuO-anode half cell would be at -0.36V against H2?

Then a voltage of more then 2.35V would oxidize the Cu-anode?

With Ag/Ag2O at +0,344V against H2, we would need more then 3.07V to oxidize the Ag-anode?

If all this is correct, then the stripping cell cannot be selective to silver.
 
I have been in the first few phases of processing silver-plated flatware for a while now using the following materials:

. 1L wide-mouth mason jar
. 1L distilled water
. 1Tbsp non-iodized salt (15g)
. Stainless steel cathode
. Various 12V power supplies
..3-10A solar panels
..35Ah deep-cycle battery
..10A battery charger

Some of the comments concerning pH levels got me curious enough to check my jars--some with dilute HCl--and see what mine were, so here's the result:


WP_20190814_21_36_14_Pro (2).jpg


*** Also, other than nitric acid, what would be the best way to ensure any silver chloride is converted back to just silver (sulfuric-iron method?) as well as separating the base metals from the silver (please don't say nitric)? Below is what my Post-Cell jar looks like currently.


WP_20190812_18_22_01_Pro.jpg
 
Yes, nitric is the only way to go, that makes sense. If it is just for the fun, you can use a cobber sulfate cell for dirty silver and a silver nitrate cell thereafter. But it is just not worth the effort, chemicals and the production of waste solutions. Just my two cents.
 
solar_plasma said:
Yes, nitric is the only way to go, that makes sense.
Actually, (after I researched it out some more) once the copper chloride process dissolves the remaining base metals, I'm really looking forward to the sulfuric-iron process outlined by others here--and Hoke, of course. I bought my battery acid (35% H2SO4) this weekend. ;)
 
Oh, I thought you asked for refining methods, not for...what I call sheer recovery. I think all wet methods will recover all silver from silver chloride. Only the hot methods will cause some losses.
 
Am I correct in saying you are all de-plating "silver plate" or EPNS (as I was led to believe that "Electro Plated Nickel Silver" did not contain any silver), or am I getting my wires crossed and EPNS is actually "Electro Plated Nickel with Silver"?

I ask as I have good quantity of EPNS spoons/forks, and if these are not suitable then I won't waste the time running them through this process.

Thanks guys
 
Am I correct in saying you are all de-plating "silver plate" or EPNS (as I was led to believe that "Electro Plated Nickel Silver" did not contain any silver), or am I getting my wires crossed and EPNS is actually "Electro Plated Nickel with Silver"?
EPNS does stand for electroplated nickel silver. Nickel silver does not contain any silver. But it is electroplated with silver.

Dave
 
Well, had a fair few spoons/forks/knives and the odd plated bowl that I chopped into strips... I've mixed the whole of the black mud into one batch, and is in the process of air drying (unless anyone can suggest a better way to dry?)

I will melt this up onto a button/block once it's dry... Sadly some of the metal from the pieces I chopped have also made their way into the mud (see blue spots)...

Any advise to avoid this for next time?

SilverMud.jpg
 
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