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Production of Silver Metal using the Patio Process
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Preparing the silver for removal (step (a): The roasted
copper and iron sulfides turn into copper sulfates (CuSO4)
and iron sulfates (FeSO4). The salt (NaCl)
reacts with the silver sulfide (Ag2S) in the
open air and light to form silver chloride (AgCl):
Ag2S + 2NaCl + 2O2 = Na2SO4
+ 2AgCl
Then, the silver chloride (AgCl) reacts with the mercury (Hg)
to form silver metal.
2AgCl + 2Hg = 2Ag + Hg2Cl2
This process was carried out in the light and open air.
The open air provided the oxygen (O2) for the
conversion of sulfide to sulfate (SO4-2).
The light may have also helped. The sunlight may have
provided some heat (Smith, Grant H., The History of the
Comstock Lode, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada
Press, Reno, NV, 1966 and 1998, p. 41) to help the reaction that
produced the silver chloride. In addition, the action of
light on silver halides serves to reduce the silver to the metal
as in the photographic process in which metallic silver and
chlorine gas are produced from silver chloride..
2AgCl + light = 2Ag + Cl2 (applies to other silver
halides, too)
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Production of Silver Metal using the Patio Process
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