Colloidal Silver | Silver Colloids

Can ions clump together to form metallic silver particles?

In an unsaturated solution, ions are dispersed throughout the solvent by repulsive force and exist as separate entities. However, in a saturated solution, ions will precipitate out as large flakes of metallic silver particles as the solution cools. These flakes are usually flat and can grow to a very large size, up to 0.100 inches in diameter, and drop to the bottom.  In a saturated solution, silver ions will…

What is the highest concentration of ionic silver that pure water will keep in solution?

If no other purposely introduced anions are present, the maximum concentration of silver ions that pure water can hold at room temperature in an unsaturated solution is 13.3 ppm. In practice, there is substantial dissolved CO2  in the water which provides additional anions, so a higher concentration of silver ions is possible without saturation.

How is “ionic silver” concentration determined?

To measure the concentration of silver ions by atomic absorption requires that the particles first be removed by centrifugation leaving only the ions. Alternatively, an Ion Selective Electrode (ISE) can be selected that only responds to the silver ions in solution. ISE measurements are less accurate than AAS and are generally accurate to within about 2%.

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