How to Refine Silver Scrap
For those who make jewelry as a hobby or home business, collecting items from pawn shops, thrift stores and estate sales will give you a heap of silver that needs to be refined. Once it is, then you will be able to use the silver for the desired project.
Things You'll Need
- Nitric acid
- Sulfuric acid
- Sodium nitrate
- Silver scraps
- Rubber gloves
- Goggles
- Face shield
- Copper pipe
- Distilled water
- 1 liter Pyrex container
- Pyrex collection tray
- Stove or other heating source
- Measuring cup
- String
- Pack of coffee filters
- Graphite crucible
Instructions
-
-
1
Warm the 1 liter Pyrex container. Add 200 ml of hot distilled water to it.
-
2
Put on rubber gloves, goggles and a face shield.
-
-
3
Slowly add 400 mg of sodium nitrate to the water and allow it to dissolve. Keep it hot, but not boiling.
-
4
Very slowly stir in 110 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid, making sure the solution does NOT boil. Once it is mixed in, allow the solution to cool to room temperature.
-
5
Place several small pieces of scrap metal in the nitric acid. Slowly heat, but do not allow it to come to a boil. Heat until it is completely dissolved.
-
6
Filter the solution through three coffee filters, retaining the clear liquid.
-
7
Suspend the end of a copper pipe in the solution with string. The silver will sink to the bottom as a gray residue.
-
8
Let solution sit overnight.
-
9
The solution should have the gray residue (silver nitrate) at the bottom with the top being clear blue. If it is not clear blue, use more copper.
-
10
Filter again with new coffee filters, but keep the residue this time. Discard the rest. Wash the residue in distilled water.
-
11
Place the residue (silver) in the crucible and heat it, melting the silver into the desired shape. Allow it to cool before touching.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You are using acids and strong chemicals with heat. Use extreme caution.
