Ivan Anderson wrote:
> Marshall wrote > > > > My take on this is that the reaction is mediated by a galvnaic current > flow > > from impurities in the silver metal. IE. copper and silver have > different > > potentials, so if there are any copper (or other impurity) atoms in a > piece > > of silver, the "reactions" will take place, but the CS has so few atoms > of > > copper or other impurities in it the majority of particles are pure > silver, > > and thus do not react. > > > > Marshall > > Not so. Copper and other impurities may or may not react with nitric > acid, but this will not affect the reaction with metallic silver, if > there is enough nitric acid remaining after any other reactions. The > silver in CS is not metallic silver and this is why the reaction is > different. I didn't say they would react, only that copper or another impurity could provide a current path so that the silver loses it charge and can thus react. For instance, if you put zinc in water, it will not corrode. If you put iron in water it will corrode. If you put iron with some zinc in electrical contact with it in the water, the zinc will corrode, not the iron. This is the type of process I am thinking of. I think we may be saying similar things in different language. That would also explain why it reacts when you get it hot, when CS gets really hot it loses it charge and aggregates. Marshall -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: [email protected] -or- [email protected] with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: [email protected] List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
