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Author: Subject: How to cut 1oz silver bar into pieces that will fit in a test tube
zed
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[*] posted on 31-10-2020 at 08:20


Easy. Just make some more Nitric Acid.

Or, employ a jewelers saw, to cut uo your bar. Hold it over a beaker, to catch any filings.

Owning a jewelers saw, is very handy. The hair-like blades are inexpensive, sharp and efficient.
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Tsjerk
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[*] posted on 31-10-2020 at 09:02


I don't understand anyone wanting to go through the effort of hammering/cutting/sawing/melting if you can just follow unionised's advice and use a limited amount of nitric and filter. You could even just fish out the remaining bar of silver and dissolve any remaining silver powder (if any) with a couple drops additional nitric acid.
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Heptylene
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[*] posted on 31-10-2020 at 09:20


A chisel will work for a 1oz bar for sure. Be sure to choose the right kind of chisel (for metal). Once you have made a deep cut, you can snap the bar in half by twisting it back and forth several times.
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B(a)P
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[*] posted on 1-11-2020 at 12:21


Quote: Originally posted by B(a)P  


In a flask1 g of silver was added to 2 mls dH2O and 2 mls HNO3 70%
In a beaker (that is all I had) 1 g of silver was added to 2 mls 35% H2O2 and 2 mls HNO3 70%

Very little happened at room temp, but upon heating both vessels were visibly reacting and no NO2 was visible from the vessel with peroxide.

I will check yields tomorrow and report back.

Next test might be to add more silver than the acid can dissolve and see which mix results in less silver.


[Edited on 31-10-2020 by B(a)P]



So I tried this again, this time in the first vessel I added 1 g of silver with 1 g of HNO3 70% and 1 g of DH2O (test 1).
In the second vessel I added 1 g of silver 1 g of HNO3 70% and and 1 g of H2O2 35% (test 2).

After heating test 1 the reaction proceeded as per normal with large amounts of NO2 being released. I kept heating until the reaction was complete. Not all of the silver reacted, I removed the unreacted silver, washed and dried it and 0.15 g of silver remained unreacted.

Test 2 took noticeably more heat for the reaction to proceed and no NO2 was observed. All of the silver was consumed by the reaction.

As long as H2O2 doesn't mess with what ever the intended use is for the AgNO3 it seems adding some H2O2 will save some of your precious HNO3.
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[*] posted on 3-11-2020 at 16:06


Just a side note: if you decide to use H2O2 then you want to avoid alkaline solution because it will reduce Ag+ ions back to elemental silver.
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metalresearcher
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[*] posted on 3-11-2020 at 23:44


Quote: Originally posted by Heptylene  
A chisel will work for a 1oz bar for sure. Be sure to choose the right kind of chisel (for metal). Once you have made a deep cut, you can snap the bar in half by twisting it back and forth several times.


Indeed, 1oz = 31g is about 3cm3.

Or, clamp one third of it in a heavy vise and give it a few hammer blows back and forth and with strong tongs you can break it off, or use a metal cutter after this.

No HNO3 needed, so no noxious NO2.
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B(a)P
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[*] posted on 4-11-2020 at 00:45


Quote: Originally posted by metalresearcher  

No HNO3 needed, so no noxious NO2.


Isn't the ultimate goal to dissolve it in nitric so that the OP can make Ag salts?
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Herr Haber
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[*] posted on 4-11-2020 at 12:54


Yes but he doesnt have enough to dissolve the whole bar.
(And will most likely need to keep a drop or two if he intends to play with silver salts)

Edit: Just put some silver cement in the oven.

[Edited on 4-11-2020 by Herr Haber]




The spirit of adventure was upon me. Having nitric acid and copper, I had only to learn what the words 'act upon' meant. - Ira Remsen
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itsallgoodjames
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[*] posted on 4-11-2020 at 15:30


Update for anyone that cares:

I hammered it flat and cut it up. It worked pretty decently, though I wouldn't really reccomend it, given the silver began to work harden and it was a huge pain to get it thinner than a few millimeters. Next time I'm just going to buy silver shot and save the effort. In the picture it looks all dirty and nasty. That's just rust from the hammer used. I've since washed it with some hydrochloric acid, and it's now back to being as shiny as silver normally is.


20201103_184231.jpg - 1.2MB




Nuclear physics is neat. It's a shame it's so regulated...

Now that I think about it, that's probably a good thing. Still annoying though.
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