Etching solution

I gather that nitric or hydrochloric acids are used for etching silver.

Could someone please give me an idea of what concentration we're talking
about here?

Cheers.

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:39:35 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Beelzebub"
m wrote:

I gather that nitric or hydrochloric acids are used for etching silver.

Could someone please give me an idea of what concentration we're talking
about here?

Cheers.


10 percent to 15 percent nitric solutions are commonly used. hydrochloric does
not properly etch silver. Just forms a smutty surface, which then does not etch
further.

Peter

Peter W. Rowe pwrowe@ixDOTnetcomDOTcom wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:39:35 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Beelzebub"
m wrote:

I gather that nitric or hydrochloric acids are used for etching silver.

Could someone please give me an idea of what concentration we're talking
about here?

Cheers.


10 percent to 15 percent nitric solutions are commonly used. hydrochloric
does
not properly etch silver. Just forms a smutty surface, which then does
not etch
further.

Ok doke, thanks for that - gonna try raiding the labs at work and wasn't
sure whether to be grabbing 1 Molar or 10 Molar solution ;-)

"Peter W. Rowe" pwrowe@ixDOTnetcomDOTcom wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:39:35 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Beelzebub"
m wrote:

I gather that nitric or hydrochloric acids are used for etching silver.

Could someone please give me an idea of what concentration we're talking
about here?

Cheers.


10 percent to 15 percent nitric solutions are commonly used. hydrochloric
does
not properly etch silver. Just forms a smutty surface, which then does
not etch
further.

Peter

HCl converts metallic Silver into insoluble Silver Chloride. "Smutty"?
Perhaps. I prefer the term curdy as AgCl2 tends to clot into something
resembling cottage cheese curds.

--

Don Thompson

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before
them, glory and danger alike, and notwithstanding go out to meet it."-
Thucydides

"Men are never really willing to die except for the sake of Freedom:
Therefore they do not believe in dying completely."-
Albert Camus

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 20:49:14 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Don T"
wrote:

HCl converts metallic Silver into insoluble Silver Chloride. "Smutty"?
Perhaps. I prefer the term curdy as AgCl2 tends to clot into something
resembling cottage cheese curds.

I'd agree, when the AgCl is in larger amounts, such as what you get when you add
salt to a silver nitrate solution, and it precipitates silver chloride. But the
acid on silver metal just forms a thin surface layer. The main look isn't a
texture so much, as just discoloration, usually uneven greyish etc. Some folks
use this as a form of less intense "antiqueing", in place of the more commonly
used, and more dramatic, black colored you get with things like liver of
sulphur. Chlorine bleach does much the same thing...

Frankly, I called it "smutty" mostly 'cause I can't think, offhand, of a better
word. I guess curdy is just as good if you like. Or "cruddy..." (grin),
though that's getting more into an opinion of whether one likes that surface (I
don't happen to).

cheers

Peter