- Joined
- May 6, 2021
- Messages
- 144
Good day, just finishing about 20oz silver refine.
After numerous times doing the salt/ lye method, I tried the cementation process.
Source material was sterling silver, not sure on yield or purity yet with cement method but seems like a lot of rinsing, distilled water use and waste water solutions.
I thought the cement method reduced the above?
Copper seems to be my issue.
After about 25 / 30 rinses with hot distilled water, occasionally adding few drops of HCL to water, I’m still testing and seeing copper in waste water, even though water looks clear and good PH.
I’m thinking maybe when you cement, you add about 6oz off copper back into solution on top off the 2oz originally in the sterling? It’s one rinsing process, but about 5 to 6 hours.
With the salt method, it’s a short rinse removing the 2oz of copper from original 20oz of sterling, the another after lye and sugar.
Honestly for me between the two methods, it’s a toss up.
Curious on any opinions.
After numerous times doing the salt/ lye method, I tried the cementation process.
Source material was sterling silver, not sure on yield or purity yet with cement method but seems like a lot of rinsing, distilled water use and waste water solutions.
I thought the cement method reduced the above?
Copper seems to be my issue.
After about 25 / 30 rinses with hot distilled water, occasionally adding few drops of HCL to water, I’m still testing and seeing copper in waste water, even though water looks clear and good PH.
I’m thinking maybe when you cement, you add about 6oz off copper back into solution on top off the 2oz originally in the sterling? It’s one rinsing process, but about 5 to 6 hours.
With the salt method, it’s a short rinse removing the 2oz of copper from original 20oz of sterling, the another after lye and sugar.
Honestly for me between the two methods, it’s a toss up.
Curious on any opinions.