@lithicmetals: Using metallic copper to cement silver out of a used silver nitrate solution. During the refining process a byproduct is made containing both silver and copper in solution. It's a mix of silver and copper nitrate. By using metallic copper, I can force the silver to drop out of solution. It's not 99.99% pure quite yet, so afterwards I'll run it through my electrolytic silver cell for the final refining. I normally do this in much larger batches, but it's a fun experiment at any volume. Once again, the silver does not come from the copper. I simply use the copper to draw the silver out of the solution through an exchange of ions. #lithicmetals #science #silver