Cleaning Silver Coins - Ammonia?
tneig
Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭
Friend sent me this link to Quality Silver Bullion's method to clean silver.
They simply use the commercial EZ coin dip, but then they do another dip in ammonia to remove all of the EZ cleaner so it doesn't continue to pit or erode the silver.
WTH, I was waiting for it to detonate or something. Does anyone do this?
Link to Video
They simply use the commercial EZ coin dip, but then they do another dip in ammonia to remove all of the EZ cleaner so it doesn't continue to pit or erode the silver.
WTH, I was waiting for it to detonate or something. Does anyone do this?
Link to Video
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Comments
I use jeweluster dip followed by a thorough warm water rinse followed by alcohol to remove hard water film and air dry.
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<< <i>WTH, I was waiting for it to detonate or something. >>
That was my first thought on reading the thread title, IIRC silver + NH3 + one other thing makes something explosive, but I don't remember the details.
I would look them up before doing this though! But if you just wash the silver quickly and then wash off the ammonia, it is probably fine. Probably
Perhaps you are thinking of silver fulminate?
I have put spotted silver eagles into common concentrated ammonia solution [both hot and cold] with no change or reaction. The spots which are silver chloride should be removed according to the following equation.
AgCl(s) + 2NH3(aq) → Ag[(NH3)2]+(aq) + Cl−(aq)
The following observation about silver chloride and ammonia is probably the reason why it doesn't work.
"When Silver Chloride is freshly prepared in solution, it looks and feels exactly like soft, white Cottage Cheese. This freshly prepared Silver Chloride, when rinsed and damp, before it is dry, or exposed to any light, will tend to be more soluble than commercially prepared, dry, blended, sifted Silver Chloride. During the drying, sifting and blending process, Silver Chloride undergoes subtle changes that are not always visible to the human eye. When dry, Silver Chloride hardens into pretty tough, but very tiny, little particles. The very outer layers of the dry Silver Chloride powder pieces tend to undergo changes when exposed to even dim lighting and oxygen that make the Silver Chloride powder less soluble in solutions. The more the light and heat, the more pronounced this effect becomes."
As far as rinsing is concerned, generally the opposite strategy is employed. If you've ever felt sodium hydroxide or ammonia solution with your fingers you know it feels slimy and it seems like it's going to take forever to wash it off. Whenever I had sodium hydroxide solution in chemical equipment I always rinsed with dilute sulfuric acid to get rid of that and afterwards it was a piece of cake to rinse off the sulfuric acid. If one dips a coin in EZest which is mostly sulfuric acid in nature, it is just plain dumb to neutralize with acetone or alcohol which I've heard is what some folks do. That just aggravates things. All you need to do is rinse well with tap water, then some distilled water and spray it down with acetone or rubbing alcohol as a drying aid.
<< <i>Perhaps you are thinking of silver fulminate? >>
Yes, probably.
But if you are washing off dilute H2SO4, then ammonia solution makes sense, it would neutralize the acid, and if any of that complexing reaction happens, then all the better. Assuming there is no fulminate
You would want to wash with water, eventually distilled, of course. Baking soda OTOH would release CO2 bubbles which may or may not be a problem.
It's bad enough getting a whiff of chlorine when the copper is eaten up with acid that tests gold. That stuff is gross and dangerous to our health. Exercise caution around ammonia. Extreme caution. A bit graphic, but lending credence to my post.
<< <i>
<< <i>Perhaps you are thinking of silver fulminate? >>
Yes, probably.
But if you are washing off dilute H2SO4, then ammonia solution makes sense, it would neutralize the acid, and if any of that complexing reaction happens, then all the better. Assuming there is no fulminate
You would want to wash with water, eventually distilled, of course. Baking soda OTOH would release CO2 bubbles which may or may not be a problem. >>
From a practical standpoint, in a kitchen lab it is very difficult to exactly neutralize something so you are generally going to have either sulfuric acid or ammonia in excess. If you want to, you can always create the vicious circle by using one to remove the other.
In my experience of more than 40 years of being a practicing bench chemist, it was always easier to completely wash off sulfuric acid than it was basic things like ammonia, sodium hydroxide or bicarb. OTOH if you put a coin with ammonia solution on it outside, both the water and ammonia will eventually evaporate away.
<< <i>Call me paranoid from my military days on the NBC Team. I avoid all smells that are pungent and putrid since those days. Nuclear, Biological and Chemical hazards are plenty.
It's bad enough getting a whiff of chlorine when the copper is eaten up with acid that tests gold. That stuff is gross and dangerous to our health. Exercise caution around ammonia. Extreme caution. A bit graphic, but lending credence to my post. >>
Dopers stealing anhydrous have burned/frozen their privates when they spilled the stuff. Happened around Des Moines a few years back.
<< <i>Computer problems
I use jeweluster dip followed by a thorough warm water rinse followed by alcohol to remove hard water film and air dry. >>
You would be wise to follow your warm water rinse with a distilled water rinse before you use the alcohol. If you do a lot of coins, it would be a plus to pick up a couple of cheap spray bottles, one for distilled water, tuther for alcohol.
<< <i>
<< <i>Computer problems
I use jeweluster dip followed by a thorough warm water rinse followed by alcohol to remove hard water film and air dry. >>
You would be wise to follow your warm water rinse with a distilled water rinse before you use the alcohol. If you do a lot of coins, it would be a plus to pick up a couple of cheap spray bottles, one for distilled water, tuther for alcohol. >>
Thanks. Will add that to my routine.
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