Sorry if this has been asked but the search function seems broken.

Has anyone had success making silver nitrate using pure silver bar and nitric acid?

I'm aware of the off gas hazard. I was more curious of the proportion of nitric acid based on it's strength (it's usually a percent) to the weight of silver. And also what happens to the remaining nitric acid in solution if too much is used.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. With the price of silver and silver nitrate I thought I might give this a try.

DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THIS


DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THIS


DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THIS

What, you got a few silver bars laying around?

Here's how you do it:
1. Sell the silver bar (like you said, it's so expensive nowadays).
2. Use profits to buy silver nitrate.
3. Enjoy a long and fruitful wetplate career.

I understand why you want to try making it from a silver bar
The price of silver has dropped from 49 to a low of 32 today.
the price of a pound of silver nitrate is still at the 435 a pound price
same as it was when silver was 49 a oz.
I think the price of silver nitrate must come down I would wait.

silver my drop even further..

[www.kitco.com]http://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html]silver[/url]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2011 03:55AM by Richard Mellor.

Take Rays advice. Always good.

Too late now but you could have bought some silver nitrate on EBay last month for $25/oz. This fellow sold several pounds. Old stock but still good.

[cgi.ebay.com]

Ray,
This is good advice, but what are your reasons? I have my own for not making it at home, mostly the acid vapor getting all over everything. Nitric is one of those things where one little mistake can be disastrous.
cheers,
chriso

Isn't Nitrogen dioxide (the toxic red fumes given off my adding silver to nitric acid) used as a rocket fuel? Also, I hear the reaction can be extremely exothermic when in the presence of water...

In other words, unless you are an experienced chemist with the right equipment, I wouldn't try this... Listen to Ray.

Take Mr. Hurlocks advice on anything related to chemistry.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2011 07:05PM by Ray Morgenweck.

FWIW

You guys realize Ive pretty well stopped giving any advice on the process...a personal decision.

But, when something like this, a potentially life threatening adventure crops up....I feel a word or two is needed.

That's a pity Ray, your advice and help has always been extremely useful in the 11 years I've been haunting Bob's splendid forum

Sean, I realize now it only takes fifty plates to become an expert.

And experts never want advice.........

Thanks for the input and advice! My dad is a retired chemist but I wanted to see if anyone in wetplate world had done this!

I like to check and double check (even when I have expert advice). Many things in wet plate can be dangerous (kcn) for example. I don't take anything lightly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2011 07:30PM by Rex Steele.

The most dangerous thing in wet plate is running out of money.

its so very easy to do that ray!