silver fixer

[jeneje]

Well, it seems that I have mislead on this matter. So I now have a question? The process that i typed above is the same method i used on my fixer after missing up. Here are some photos of the process, now to my question what do I have?

Thanks
Kenneth

The pics are backwards sorry.

 

[4metals]

If you add caustic (lye) to your silver nitrate you will form silver oxide. Silver oxide can be melted directly as the oxide decomposes before the melting point of silver. What it gives off is O2, a bit tamer than chlorides or sulfides.

 

[Palladium]

First of all,we have to know if you have silver dissolved in your fixer,so dip a piece of clean copper wire for 5 seconds into your fixer and tell us what happens.If there is any silver dissolved we will use zinc/sulphuric acid or sodium sulphide process to recover that silver.

Manuel

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3558&p=30524&hilit=photo+fixers#p30524

 

[Palladium]

Meow !

 

[jjohio]

i found some stuff called photographers sodium sulfide...comes in 100 gram bottle, is this what i want to drop silver?..anybody no more places to purchase this stuff

 

[NoIdea]

.......... Number two, where can you buy bulk sodium sulfide and how much does it generally take to drop silver from a solution of sodium thiosulfate? I also heard someone mention copper recovery. If so is that like a cementation process we do with gold? Does it drop metallic silver in metal form?

I know sounds like a newbie. Lol

Hi All – Funny this should pop up now, I’ve bin doing a few experiments using hydrogen sulphide to strip copper from AP and HCl/Cl solutions.

If anyone is interested ill throw together some pictures of the colour change and what was filtered from solution.

I keep reading about waste waste waste, sorry I spend more time finding solutions to waste problems than I do extracting gold.

I prefer the AP (aquarium bubbler) approach due to the ease at which copper can be stripped from solution and at the same time reducing the pH of the solution for reuse. Nickel on the other hand …. :roll:

Has anyone tried this approach?

Cheers

Deano

 

[qst42know]

How are you getting the copper out?

 

[jeneje]

How are you getting the copper out?

Out of solution, or out of the solids?

Kennth

 

[NoIdea]

Hi - Sorry, i re-read my post, it's missing a bit, ill try again.

I use the AP method, using an aquarium bubbler instead of H2O2 thus keeping the solution volume down. Recovery of copper is a performed after ALL PM’s are removed from said solution. Bubbling H2S gas through a bubbler with intense agitation and copper will precipitate out as the sulphide leaving behind the H+, thus lowering the pH. The copper sulphide is removed by filtration.

Before reintroducing the solution back into the AP process, it’s advantageous to purge the solution with air to get rid of any H2S still lurking around.

The nickel is another problem Im working on, looked at a patient that used an ethanol soluble dyglime (is that the correct spelling) was used to impregnate polyurethane foam, letting it dry, then run your nickel solution through it and it will capture the nickel, wash with water, dry, and then wash out with ethanol, the rest I forget, though this may be my next approach.


Cheers

Deano

 

[jjohio]

i found some stuff called photographers sodium sulfide...comes in 100 gram bottle, is this what i want to drop silver?..anybody no more places to purchase this stuff

 

[Juan Manuel Arcos Frank]

Palladium:

It seems like silver sulphide mud,try to make a test using my process to convert silver sulphide to metallic silver.

Do not buy anything without assying.If it is silver then you have found an urban silver mine.

Good Luck.

Manuel

 

[qst42know]

The nickel is another problem Im working on, looked at a patient that used an ethanol soluble dyglime

Dimethylglyoxime? The same as for testing for palladium?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethylglyoxime

This could be used in a basic solution for a pink precipitate, but kind of expensive for nickel.

 

[jjohio]

i found some stuff called photographers sodium sulfide...comes in 100 gram bottle, is this what i want to drop silver?..anybody no more places to purchase this stuff

 

[Palladium]

Meow !!!

 

[Barren Realms 007]

Sounds like you might have found your solution when you melted the first button. I would take a couple of ounces out of the same barrel and melt them up and then run them in nitric and see what happens. I would do this after a good wash with water to remove any residues of the old chemical. I feel that washing the old chemical out will be your biggest problem. If it turns out that is all you need to do and then melt it I would build a large vacume filter or build a series of them to put the residues in and wash the old chemicals out. Here is the $64,000 question, how will you dispose of the old chemicals?

Congrats on the possible great find.

You know what you are doing, don't second guess your decisions.

How about some pictures? Especialy if it turns out to be all silver a picture with all of the bars melted would be awsome.

 

[Juan Manuel Arcos Frank]

Palladium:

BINGO!!!!!!...all sludge stuff is a mixure of sulphides,among them,silver sulphide so test the liquid wiht a copper wire,if it does not turn grey/silver in 5 seconds it means that there is no silver in solution,so all silver is in the mud(as silver sulphide).

To process the mud let it dry and melt it with potassium nitrate(ratio 3:1 of potassium nitrate:silver sulphide).Take 100 gr of dry silver sulphide,300 gr of saltpetre,mix them well and follow my process for converting silver sulphide to metallic silver,you will get a nice button of silver,weight it and you will know how much silver you have in your black mud.

Palladium,be ready for cooling many bottles of champagne.

Kindest regards.

Manuel

 

[Palladium]

Thanks again friend. I will still have that drink though. After all it is my Birthday. :twisted:

 

[qst42know]

Well, Happy birthday then. 8)

 

[Juan Manuel Arcos Frank]

Happy Birthday,Palladium!!!!

I am sure you will find another silver urban mine pretty soon.

Congratulations!!!!!

Manuel

 

[Juan Manuel Arcos Frank]

If a process does not work for me it does not mean that the process is unuseful,probably I did something wrong,besides,I am an old dog that has no willingness to learn new tricks so I am posting all the information I have about NaOH process for fixers.

Please,keep us posted about your progress.

Kindest regards.

Manuel