In a message dated 3/23/01 11:16:13 AM EST, [email protected] writes:
<< Subj: Re: CS>Solubility of silver in water. Date: 3/23/01 11:16:13 AM EST From: [email protected] (Del or Elmay Crow) Reply-to: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sorry, but you guys are confusing me. The thing you are dealing with is a change of energy levels.The silver is still silver. There is supposedly no metal exchanged between the annode and cathode. All you could expect is that the water is changed to accomodate this. Bubbles of hydrogen at one side, oxegen at the other plus the water electron-cloud structure change to possibly up to 105degrees. None of us can measure this stuff, let alone imagine it!!! >> Del: I think what you have to keep in mind is when ~27 volts are applied across silver electrodes in pure water, certain oxidation/reduction reactions are possible. Let's look at the anode where oxidation takes place. At the voltage stated, these are the reactions that MAY take place, (1) Ag -------> [Ag+] + 1e (2) 1/2O2(g) + 2[H+] -----> H2O + 1e (3) 2[OH-] -----> H2O + 1/2O2 + 1e And for the cathode, the following reactions MAY take place, (4) [Ag+] + 1e -------> Ag (5) [H+] + 1e --------> 1/2H2(g) (6) H2O + 1e --------> 1/2O2(g) + 2[H+] Now, the way I remember how to proceed, and it has been a very long time since I did these calculations, is to examine the standard electrode potential for each reaction. The reaction that has the smallest absolute electrode potential will proceed under STANDARD conditions, that is. In this case, however, water is essentially the electrolyte (at least in the beginning of CS electrolysis) so we can use the standard electrode potential directly to determine which of the "water reactions" will proceed, and since water is in abundance, that reaction will set the maximum potential at that electrode. Now, here's where silver enters the picture: If silver can be oxidized at the anode at the maximum electrode potential (dictated by one of the water reactions), silver ions will be produced. Similarly at the cathode, if silver ions can be reduced at the maximum electrode potential (dictated by one of the water reactions) then metallic silver will be produced (from the silver ions generated at the anode). Perhaps, Ivan (or anyone else versed in electrochemistry) can fill in the blanks with regard to which of these water reactions will prevail at the anode and cathode, and/or whether or not I made any boo boos. Roger -- 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] Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
