Silver cell issue isolation

[bloodmoneybullion]

Hello gents, I've been experimenting with my silver cells and I'm running in to a few problems but can't isolate the cause. Once I know the causes I feel like it would be easier to research and find the solutions.

Problem 1: my crystals look pure when harvested but when melted down and verified they test a little higher than 925 which means no refining happened at all.

Problem 2: I've had two cells now where crystals grew to a certain point and then turned into a cloudy milky particulate and crystal growth stopped.

Problem 4: underneath my anode baskets a large stringy ratts best looking crystal growth starts and eventually shorts out on the anode baskets leading to impure crystal in problem number 1.

Now for the stats. I run 3 cells at once 2 4.5l cells and one 3.5l cell. The two larger ones are ran by 10 amp DC power supplies set to 3 v CC amps usually run between .5 and 1.8 except in the event of a short where it jumps to 10 and I know my batch is ruined. The smaller cell is run off a 5 amp DC power supply set to 3.5 amps. Of the 4.5 and 3.5l cells 4 and 3l respectfully of electrolyte. The electrolyte started out at about 150g/l but I suspect that has fallen significantly and has now saturated with base metals and copper.

I have cleaned the anode filters but they still gunk up rather quickly. My plan moving forward subject to change upon advice given here, I'm going to start one cell with fresh electrolyte and shoot for 300 grams per liter and run 925 sterling through it. 3v as before harvesting frequently to prevent shorts. I'm going to add a 10 amp online fuse to the positive line Incase of anode baskets contact. I'm going to take the harvested material from the first cell and melt it into shot and run it through a second cell with the same specs repeat and run a third time to harvest.

My hope is that I can tell just how pure the crystal is getting by the difference in color of the electrolyte and shot produced as well as the amount of slimes in the anode baskets. With a final result of atleast 3 9s fine silver.

Am I missing something and can I make my plan better?

 

[4metals]

What purity is the Silver you are starting with. The photo of the shot in the basket appears to be a low percentage of Silver. Are you processing sterling, or processing cement Silver or processing reduced Silver Chloride? Or some other mystery metal.

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

What purity is the Silver you are starting with. The photo of the shot in the basket appears to be a low percentage of Silver. Are you processing sterling, or processing cement Silver or processing reduced Silver Chloride? Or some other mystery metal.

Mostly sterling silver. My first batch of electrolyte was made with half sterling half pure. (Mistake 1) It made what looked to be pure crystals on the first run. The shot at first was sterling but after the first run I added in cement silver from the first batch of electrolyte after cementing it out with copper. (Second mistake) I should keep those separate in the future. As far as I know no silver chloride has been produced however after looking again the latest cell seems to have made cement silver and crystal. I took a sample of the electrolyte and tried cementing out silver and the concentration was significantly low. With all these mistakes combined I think I know the problem and can fix it and I'll have to try a few things before I can come back and ask for help I obviously want high purity silver and I'm just not getting it yet. I'm gonna make a fresh batch of electrolyte it will be slightly contaminated but atleast 98 percent pure silver will be used. I'm gonna add online fuses to the positive leads to prevent contamination through shorts. I am interested in the preferred voltage and amps I'm looking for but I know that's in another thread somewhere just gotta dig I've been shooting for 3. To 3.5 v and between .75 and 2 amps.

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

What purity is the Silver you are starting with. The photo of the shot in the basket appears to be a low percentage of Silver. Are you processing sterling, or processing cement Silver or processing reduced Silver Chloride? Or some other mystery metal.

When tested my bars came out between sterling and pure just fyi about 94 percent

 

[adam mizer]

The O.P. states:
"300 grams per liter and run 925 sterling through it."

 

[FrugalRefiner]

What are you using for your anode bag? Can you post a picture of it please. I don't see the "mistakes" you've mentioned causing the problems you're having. I make my electrolyte with plain sterling silver. It puts a little copper into the electrolyte, which is desirable. I run straight sterling in my cell. It just means I have to replace my electrolyte more often.

But an anode bag that lets slimes through could cause the problems you're having.

You also have to be very careful when you remove your anode bags. Undisturbed, they tend to catch the slimes well. But when you lift them to remove them, or jostle them around to look in the bowl or take pictures, the slimes can get through the pores of the bags.

Dave

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

What are you using for your anode bag? Can you post a picture of it please. I don't see the "mistakes" you've mentioned causing the problems you're having. I make my electrolyte with plain sterling silver. It puts a little copper into the electrolyte, which is desirable. I run straight sterling in my cell. It just means I have to replace my electrolyte more often.

But an anode bag that lets slimes through could cause the problems you're having.

You also have to be very careful when you remove your anode bags. Undisturbed, they tend to catch the slimes well. But when you lift them to remove them, or jostle them around to look in the bowl or take pictures, the slimes can get through the pores of the bags.

Dave

I didn't have any pictures of the anode bags but I'm using Dacron filter bags off Amazon I am guilty of poking around and looking through the basket I'll have to tone that down

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

Alright so I got the bars confused with an older one I did. My silver bars from the refining operation are testing pure which is a relief I still have the issue with the cell cementing silver instead of crystal which I still believe is due to my concentration of silver being low and copper being high

 

[Shark]

Just to be sure, you are using non magnetic bowls aren't you?

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

Yes they are stainless steel but I haven't taken a magnet to them I'll have to check that I just assumed

 

[Shark]

I grabbed up a stainless bowl a while back and it was magnetic. Kind of surprised me but I wasn't using it for a cell. Just checked from habit.

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

I grabbed up a stainless bowl a while back and it was magnetic. Kind of surprised me but I wasn't using it for a cell. Just checked from habit.

As a matter of fact my bowls are magnetic. Anyone got a link to some cheap workable bowls?

 

[BGDOCK]

Go to a thrift store with a magnet and test the bowls .
Dont rely on amazon for a bowl

 

[bloodmoneybullion]

Go to a thrift store with a magnet and test the bowls .
Dont rely on amazon for a bowl

Sounds like a plan what's the problem with a magnetic bowl just for learning purposes I'm hoping I can still use these until I find the replacements

 

[Yggdrasil]

Sounds like a plan what's the problem with a magnetic bowl just for learning purposes I'm hoping I can still use these until I find the replacements

It has to do with the class of Stainless. The magnetic one is not fully passivized by Nitric.

 

[Shark]

The magnetic part is primarily iron in some cheaper stainless. It may be leaching into your electrolyte as well as cementing some silver.

 

[Yggdrasil]

The magnetic part is primarily iron in some cheaper stainless. It may be leaching into your electrolyte as well as cementing some silver.

The major component in all stainless steels are Iron.
But the ones we use have sufficient Chrome and Nickel to be completely passivized.

 

[Shark]

The major component in all stainless steels are Iron.
But the ones we use have sufficient Chrome and Nickel to be completely passivized.

Yes, that is what I was trying to to say, but didn't come out right.

 

[Martijn]

Hello gents, I've been experimenting with my silver cells and I'm running in to a few problems but can't isolate the cause. Once I know the causes I feel like it would be easier to research and find the solutions.

Problem 1: my crystals look pure when harvested but when melted down and verified they test a little higher than 925 which means no refining happened at all.

Problem 2: I've had two cells now where crystals grew to a certain point and then turned into a cloudy milky particulate and crystal growth stopped.

Problem 4: underneath my anode baskets a large stringy ratts best looking crystal growth starts and eventually shorts out on the anode baskets leading to impure crystal in problem number 1.

Now for the stats. I run 3 cells at once 2 4.5l cells and one 3.5l cell. The two larger ones are ran by 10 amp DC power supplies set to 3 v CC amps usually run between .5 and 1.8 except in the event of a short where it jumps to 10 and I know my batch is ruined. The smaller cell is run off a 5 amp DC power supply set to 3.5 amps. Of the 4.5 and 3.5l cells 4 and 3l respectfully of electrolyte. The electrolyte started out at about 150g/l but I suspect that has fallen significantly and has now saturated with base metals and copper.

I have cleaned the anode filters but they still gunk up rather quickly. My plan moving forward subject to change upon advice given here, I'm going to start one cell with fresh electrolyte and shoot for 300 grams per liter and run 925 sterling through it. 3v as before harvesting frequently to prevent shorts. I'm going to add a 10 amp online fuse to the positive line Incase of anode baskets contact. I'm going to take the harvested material from the first cell and melt it into shot and run it through a second cell with the same specs repeat and run a third time to harvest.

My hope is that I can tell just how pure the crystal is getting by the difference in color of the electrolyte and shot produced as well as the amount of slimes in the anode baskets. With a final result of atleast 3 9s fine silver.

Am I missing something and can I make my plan better?

One thing has not been discussed:
What method of testing the purity are you using?