Subject: Chemical silvering

From: [email-masked] (Steve Rayner)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 13:07:08 GMT

CAUTION CAUTION!

When you use silver nitrate solutions to silver an object, throw out the 
left over solution right away!  In about an hour, it will degrade into 
silver fulminate, which is very unstable.  Even sunlight can cause it to 
explode!  The best thing is to flush the stuff down the toilet, then 
flush several times to dilute it & clear you sewer pipe.  Make sure you 
flush out the container under running water too.
-- 
************************************************************************
     MY SECRET IS OIL OF HARLEY DAVIDSON !      Steve Rayner
************************************************************************

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From: [email-masked] (Don Berry)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 10:55:13 -0400

>flush out the container under running water too.

When I saw the references to mirroring glass, I was tempted to give the
standard warning about letting the mixed solutions stand around a long 
time, but...
Steve's warning is way out of proportion, and based on incorrect chemistry.

-> Silver nitrate solutions are not dangerous, and will not convert into
fulminate by themselves, or in light.  (fulminate requires alcohol.)

However,
-> silver solutions, nitrate or otherwise, can react with ammonia upon standing
(days, usually) to form explosive mixtures of silver nitride, Ag3N which
are very 
tempermental.  Because the silvering solutions (after they've been mixed)
contain 
silver nitrate  and ammonia, they should be disposed of within a day or
so.  It's
best to neutralize the ammonia first with vinegar, for example, or HCl
(muriatic acid).

If anyone is interested, I have a pretty good description of the mirroring
process I
could post.

-Don Berry
[email-masked]
-- 
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Don Wilkins)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 22:50:40 GMT

On Fri, 26 Apr 1996 13:07:08 GMT, [email-masked] (Steve

>flush out the container under running water too.
Apparently this guy flunked Chem 101 but I suspect the EPA would be
interested in his novel method of disposal of toxic chemicals. 
And that is probably where you learned your chemistry.

  _               _   _                  Für d' Flöh gibts a Pulver 
 (_|   |   |_/o  | | | |  o              für d' Schuah gibts a Wix, 
   |   |   |     | | | |      _  _    ,   für'n Durst gibts a Wasser
   |   |   |  |  |/  |/_) |  / |/ |  / \_  bloss fuer d' Dummheit gibts nix.
    \_/ \_/   |_/|__/| \_/|_/  |  |_/ \/

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From: [email-masked] (Jim Waggener)
Date: Sat, 27 Apr 1996 05:07:25 GMT

[email-masked] (Don Berry) wrote:

>I<snip>

>[email-masked]

Don,

I would like to see your mirroring process post.

Jim Waggener
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (William )
Date: 28 Apr 1996 08:10:14 GMT

>explode!

The criticisms seem a little harsh.  The ammonical silver nitrate solutions
CAN form an explosive compound that is usually referred to as "fulminating
silver", which is NOT the same thing as silver fulminate.  Silver fulminate
is pretty sensitive, but fulminating silver is worse...

BillW

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From: [email-masked] (Edk4)
Date: 27 Apr 1996 11:30:47 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (Don Berry) writes:

>process I could post.

Yes, please.

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From: [email-masked] (Eric Wilner)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 22:12:10 GMT

[email-masked] (Steve Rayner) writes:
: When you use silver nitrate solutions to silver an object, throw out the 
: left over solution right away!  In about an hour, it will degrade into 
: silver fulminate, which is very unstable.  Even sunlight can cause it to 

Actually, silver fulminate isn't all that unstable -- but the reaction
between some silver salts (notably the nitrate) and ammonia produces
a compound called fulminating silver, exact composition unknown last
I heard, which is just as nasty as you say.

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From: [email-masked] (Robert Galloway)
Date: 2 May 1996 06:37:27 -0600

>I heard, which is just as nasty as you say.

Is this coupound unstable when suspended or covered with water or only 
when dry as is the case with the compound formed by Iodine and Ammonia?

rhg