Xray film

[farmerjoehoehoehoe]

I have 1200 lbs of 1950-1980 xray film.
Without selling it to someone else , what is the the most economical way to retrieve the silver?
I have some chemistry and electronics knowledge and would like to do this myself. There may be around $8,000-$10,000 worth of silver if my math is right.
Thanks, Joe

 

[Lino1406]

Think of a moving rope on which films are hanged and dipped in caustic soda solution for several minutes each, while moving, the black mass that sinks is high content silver, leaving transparent films. The concentration of caustic is 10% or higher

 

[cmseyfert]

You may be overestimating the silver content. Pyromet indicates that if it was all 1980's vintage it could be as little as 140 ozt., or if it was all pre-1960 film you could have as much as 360 ozt. So, upper bound is about $7000 at current prices, probably closer to the $4000 range. Still a nice payout but important to factor in when evaluating the chemicals and equipment you'll need to refine it.