We added silver nitrate to copper metal,the silver was replaced in the solution by the copper and the resulting sludge was the silver that fell off the copper to the bottom of the beaker.Any ideas?
reclaiming silver
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Ocean Breeze
- Posts: 798
- Joined: 01 Jun 2006, 10:00
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- State/Location: NSW
reclaiming silver
I have a beaker of sludgy fluffy silver substance that I wonder if I could smelt/reclaim silver from.
We added silver nitrate to copper metal,the silver was replaced in the solution by the copper and the resulting sludge was the silver that fell off the copper to the bottom of the beaker.Any ideas?
We added silver nitrate to copper metal,the silver was replaced in the solution by the copper and the resulting sludge was the silver that fell off the copper to the bottom of the beaker.Any ideas?
Re: reclaiming silver
This would I think be almost imposible to do in a school environment!The only way I know to reclaim silver sludge back to silver metal is by a classical fire assay technique which would involve mixing the sludge with litharge (PbO) and firing in a furnace at about 1000C then by cupellation, also at about 1000C volatilizing the lead off to leave behind the silver!
John
John
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Ocean Breeze
- Posts: 798
- Joined: 01 Jun 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Lab Manager
- State/Location: NSW
Re: reclaiming silver
I'm with you...into the waste bin then! Less for me to do 
Thanks John
Thanks John
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Ian
- Posts: 575
- Joined: 16 Oct 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Lab Assistant
- School: Macarthur Anglican School
- Suburb: Cobbitty
- State/Location: NSW
Re: reclaiming silver
Now, perhaps this might be a question for Dr Robb!
I googled "Fire Assaying" and determined that it was more to do with extracting silver from lead/silver ore, rather than solid silver from powdered silver.
I did an experiment! (Heck, what's the point of working in a laboratory if you can't do experiments! The kids call me "Hagrid", anyway!)
My hypothesis was that, as silver has a melting temperature of just under 1000 C, and I should be able to achieve that with a bunsen and blow pipe, I should be able to simply melt the silver crystal residue by applying heat, and end up with a blob of silver
My method was to firstly heat up the silver on a Carbon block, using a bluw pipe. I also attempted to heat it in a crucible by applying flame to the silver. (Applying
My Results were that I got a few glimpses of small metalic silver blobs, However they seemed to quickly dissapear and become part of the general greyish "crust". The final result tended to be just a greyish Crusty substance.
My conclusion/ discussion? Hmmm! this is where I may need Robb! Is the silver just being re-oxidised? If I had an "Oxy torch", I could set it up as either an Oxydising flame or a Reducing flame. Would I have achieved a better result using a Reducing flame from an Oxy welder? Am I barking up the wrong tree?
I know I have heard sermon illustrations about refining silver by heating it up in a crucible and scrapong off the dross until it is pure. I would not stake my life (or soul) on the metelurgical knowlege of most priests, but I guess their illustrations bust at least be based on SOME truth (I hope??)
OK gang! lets work this thing out! I want to make some ear rings for my wife out of old Science experiments!!
regards
Ian
I googled "Fire Assaying" and determined that it was more to do with extracting silver from lead/silver ore, rather than solid silver from powdered silver.
I did an experiment! (Heck, what's the point of working in a laboratory if you can't do experiments! The kids call me "Hagrid", anyway!)
My hypothesis was that, as silver has a melting temperature of just under 1000 C, and I should be able to achieve that with a bunsen and blow pipe, I should be able to simply melt the silver crystal residue by applying heat, and end up with a blob of silver
My method was to firstly heat up the silver on a Carbon block, using a bluw pipe. I also attempted to heat it in a crucible by applying flame to the silver. (Applying
My Results were that I got a few glimpses of small metalic silver blobs, However they seemed to quickly dissapear and become part of the general greyish "crust". The final result tended to be just a greyish Crusty substance.
My conclusion/ discussion? Hmmm! this is where I may need Robb! Is the silver just being re-oxidised? If I had an "Oxy torch", I could set it up as either an Oxydising flame or a Reducing flame. Would I have achieved a better result using a Reducing flame from an Oxy welder? Am I barking up the wrong tree?
I know I have heard sermon illustrations about refining silver by heating it up in a crucible and scrapong off the dross until it is pure. I would not stake my life (or soul) on the metelurgical knowlege of most priests, but I guess their illustrations bust at least be based on SOME truth (I hope??)
OK gang! lets work this thing out! I want to make some ear rings for my wife out of old Science experiments!!
regards
Ian
Re: reclaiming silver
Why is this topic in "biology,Physics"???
