scotthack - 16-9-2015 at 12:50
Hello,
Scott from Alaska here. I have been collecting supplies and equipment to refine scrap silver. I have only been able to find "fixed" DC power
supplies. The closest I have come to what I have heard being used was a power supply that put out 5 volts and 12 amps. I found some that would put
out as low as 5 amps but all those models were set to put out 13.8 volts. I knew this would be too high. But now I am concerned that maybe not only
is the 12 amps too high, but perhaps the 5 volts is as well.
Again, the power supply is not adjustable, so there's my problem. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks
m1tanker78 - 16-9-2015 at 14:35
Search ebay for "variable power supply". The first several hits for 30V 5A are good units to start with (power wise). If you're good with electronics,
you can construct an adjustable power supply but $50-ish isn't bad for the ebay boxes.
If you need serious juice for processing a LOT of scrap and have a pretty steady supply of scrap coming at you, you might want to invest in a big TCR
type power supply. Be prepared to pay $600 - $1000 + God knows how much to ship a ~160 pound box to Alaska.
Better to run smaller cells with smaller independent power supplies IMO.
IrC - 16-9-2015 at 15:14
"I am concerned that maybe not only is the 12 amps too high, but perhaps the 5 volts is as well."
The amperage should be too high, this is called de-rating meaning it will not need repairing endlessly as it burns out. You are under a wrong
impression in regard to circuit theory, that is the amps will only be as high as the circuit is loaded at any given voltage. This will depend upon the
impedance of the cell which in typical electrochemical cells is a dynamic thing depending upon many factors. I=E/R, Amps = Volts divided by Ohms.
Study the required voltage for the type and chemistry of the cell you are going to operate. As was stated a variable supply is highly desirable. So is
monitoring cell temperature. Since depending upon the situation it is possible the cell impedance will vary I suggest one designed with an adjustable
current limit as well as good voltage regulation is a good idea. Even better is the addition of a circuit monitoring cell temperature capable of
controlling the voltage especially if the cell will run for long times unattended. You may wish to consider such features when searching for a power
supply but remember higher current ratings is not a detriment. The current will depend upon the voltage and the cell impedance and you do not want a
supply that is running near its maximum ratings for long periods as this will result in a damaged supply.
AndrewCampbell - 4-11-2015 at 20:59
If only it were so easy to refine silver at home. My silver jewellery business would definitely be unique and outstanding when I tell people that all
the products are refined and produced by yours truly! Not all jewellery businesses can claim that!
zed - 7-11-2015 at 12:13
Well, the neat trick used to be, not in reclaiming Silver, but in growing decent sized Silver crystals.
Since they are constructed of Fine Silver, they are very bright, and somewhat resist tarnishing.
Soft, but they make clever jewelry just by themselves.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow-Silver-Crystals-by-Elec...
[Edited on 7-11-2015 by zed]
etoxiran - 7-12-2015 at 09:54
Why not use of automotive class Pb acid battery? Safe to operate, and provide up to hundred of amps. After few refining I can say that ATX power
supply is useless for this job. I have good results using old 12/24V acid battery charger at least.
Main goal to achieve is remove of noble metal from silver (quite tricky for chloride pathway). If you properly use the chloride way, purity of 99.99
is possible to acquire (XRF tested), so use electrochemistry can up purity over 6N.