Fixer Evaporation.....

CMoore · May 22, 2017

When fixer evaporates, does the silver stay in the tray, or is it so small that it goes up with the evaporating liquid.?
What i am getting at is recycling. If the silver stays behind, i can just poor it off into a 5gallon bucket, let summertime lend a hand, and then have much less "stuff" to haul to the toxic waste place near me.
Thank You

RauschenOderKorn · May 23, 2017

The silver will stay in the tray. There is no problem at all with evaporation, just take care that the bucket is safe for children & animals.

CMoore · May 23, 2017

10-4.....Thank You.

Doremus Scudder · May 23, 2017

If possible, take your used fix to a photofinisher in the area for silver recovery. They are usually happy to take it for free if they can keep the recovered silver. I collect mine in 5-gallon jugs and drop it by the local photofinisher every so often. Even if you are not too close to a photofinisher, it would not be too hard to collect fix and make the occasional trip.

The hazmat facility you are thinking of taking your fixer to likely has no idea of, or provision for, silver recovery; they'll incinerate your fixer. Use them as a last resort.

Best,

Doremus

tokam · May 23, 2017

Can't you remove the silver ions in solution with iron? I've been placing a wad of steel wool in my old fixer and in a few days the steel wool is converted to a sludge which I filter out of the spent fixer before tipping down the drain. I use what I think is an excess of steel wool to eliminate silver from the fixer. The coffee filter of sludge is then dried and I store mine until I maybe have enough to recover the silver, will take years!!!

CMoore · May 23, 2017

tokam said:
Can't you recover the silver....... will take years!!!

You answered your own question.
I would rather get rich by collecting 0.2% interest on $1.000.00 in a savings account at my bank.

CMoore · May 23, 2017

Doremus Scudder said:
If possible, take your used fix to a photofinisher in the area for silver recovery. They are usually happy to take it for free if they can keep the recovered silver. I collect mine in 5-gallon jugs and drop it by the local photofinisher every so often. Even if you are not too close to a photofinisher, it would not be too hard to collect fix and make the occasional trip.

The hazmat facility you are thinking of taking your fixer to likely has no idea of, or provision for, silver recovery; they'll incinerate your fixer. Use them as a last resort.

Best,

Doremus

That is a good idea, not sure if there is a lab near me or not. Our local college still has a film class, i Might Be Able to give it to them.
I will look into that.
Thank You

darkroommike · May 23, 2017

The best "solution" may be a combination of procedures. First, treat the spent fixer with steel wool to remove the silver and then evaporate the solution. The process does not need to be perfect just good enough to be legal and safe.

Luckless · May 23, 2017

If you're doing fixer recover and evaporation/concentration on waste fluids, would there be any real benefit or negative to evaporating to a concentrate and then attempting silver recovery?

Also evaporating pans may be a worthwhile option to look into. Your evaporation is ruled by surface area after all. A few old windows are easily made into a vented box to stick a deep pan in and leave in the sun for a bit. - Just be careful about accidentally reducing to a dry powder, as that stuff probably won't be good to breathe or get in your eyes or anything.

darkroommike · May 23, 2017

Luckless said:
If you're doing fixer recover and evaporation/concentration on waste fluids, would there be any real benefit or negative to evaporating to a concentrate and then attempting silver recovery?

Also evaporating pans may be a worthwhile option to look into. Your evaporation is ruled by surface area after all. A few old windows are easily made into a vented box to stick a deep pan in and leave in the sun for a bit. - Just be careful about accidentally reducing to a dry powder, as that stuff probably won't be good to breathe or get in your eyes or anything.

It would be simple enough to create a solar oven or solrr still to evaporate the solution, I would pre-treat the waste solution with steel wool, then evaporate the de-silvered solution, if you line the tray or pan with a bag before pouring in the spent fixer you could just turn the bag inside out to recover the powder (you could use a cat litter tray and liners).

Doremus Scudder · May 26, 2017

The problem with doing silver recovery by yourself is that you have to do something with the silver sludge, which is even more of a "hazardous material" than spent fixer. For me, taking fixer to the photofinisher for recovery is an ideal solution; no muss, no fuss and only a trip every month or two.

Doremus

removed account4 · May 26, 2017

Luckless said:
reducing to a dry powder, as that stuff probably won't be good to breathe or get in your eyes or anything

you are right, it isn't good for you.
and neither are the fumes given off by evaporation ( or so i have been told by people smarter than me )
back in the 80s i worked for a company that sold evaporation units .. they were like a drum and a heat source and a fan
and a thick liner. the in structions were like the oven ron popeil ( RONCO ) used to sell " set it and forget it " ...
except in a not-good ventilated area, the fumes could collect and were not good for you ...
ALSO ...

darkroommike said:
pre-treat the waste solution with steel wool

the thing about steel wool is that if the solution goes through it too fast and doens't "trickle" it doesn't trade ions very well.
that is why a trickle tank has a slow rate. i had a colleague who didn't use the trickle tank, just the media bucket ( big bucket of steel wool or iron/core )
and she'd pour her fixer in a hose and it left as fast as she poured it in. the steel wool ( &c ) probably did absolutely nothing ... and if you do the steel wool soak
what do you do with your steel wool covered with other "stuff" can't just throw it out if you do and it is in the landfill its the same as dumping it in your back yard ..

Doremus Scudder said:
The problem with doing silver recovery by yourself is that you have to do something with the silver sludge, which is even more of a "hazardous material" than spent fixer. For me, taking fixer to the photofinisher for recovery is an ideal solution; no muss, no fuss and only a trip every month or two.

Doremus

couldn't agree more !

darkroommike · May 26, 2017

Doremus Scudder said:
The problem with doing silver recovery by yourself is that you have to do something with the silver sludge, which is even more of a "hazardous material" than spent fixer. For me, taking fixer to the photofinisher for recovery is an ideal solution; no muss, no fuss and only a trip every month or two.

Doremus

No photofinishers left where I live.

CMoore · May 26, 2017

darkroommike said:
No photofinishers left where I live.

I am not even sure i know what that is.
Are these guys a "Photo Finisher".?

https://thedarkroom.com/product/fil...ug&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=APUG-button

MattKing · May 26, 2017

CMoore said:
I am not even sure i know what that is.
Are these guys a "Photo Finisher".?

https://thedarkroom.com/product/fil...ug&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=APUG-button

Yes.
Also known as a photo lab.
I think the "photo finisher" was a Kodak term common in the North American market, at least.
It is the term I grew up with, because that was the term my Dad used - he was the customer service manager at the Western Canada Kodak lab, but had a lot of dealings with the various independent labs who would take in and forward to Kodak Kodachrome (and in some cases, Ektachrome) film.

Arklatexian · May 26, 2017

Doremus Scudder said:
If possible, take your used fix to a photofinisher in the area for silver recovery. They are usually happy to take it for free if they can keep the recovered silver. I collect mine in 5-gallon jugs and drop it by the local photofinisher every so often. Even if you are not too close to a photofinisher, it would not be too hard to collect fix and make the occasional trip.

The hazmat facility you are thinking of taking your fixer to likely has no idea of, or provision for, silver recovery; they'll incinerate your fixer. Use them as a last resort.

Best,

Doremus

I wonder, does Dallas, Texas still have a photofinisher? They are only 180 miles from where I and my darkroom live. We once had 3 here but haven't had any for maybe 10 years or so and it is going to be awfully cold in a very hot place before I will drive 180 miles AND BACK to drop off what little spent fixer I generate. Thanks, I'll find another way to get rid of it Get real folks, times have changed and I would bet that photofinishers have disappeared from most of the USA if not from the rest of the world.......Regards!

Doremus Scudder · May 27, 2017

CMoore said:
I am not even sure i know what that is.
Are these guys a "Photo Finisher".?

I guess I should have said "photo lab" or "photo processing lab" or the like. Anyone that commercially processes film is required to have silvery recovery for their fixer. They are almost always happy to take your spent fixer if they can keep the recovered silver.

Best,

Doremus

Doremus Scudder · May 27, 2017

oldtimermetoo said:
... so it is going to be awfully cold in a very hot place before I will drive 180 miles AND BACK to drop off what little spent fixer I generate. Thanks, I'll find another way to get rid of it. Get real folks, times have changed and I would bet that photofinishers have disappeared from most of the USA if not from the rest of the world.......Regards!

My home town of Eugene, OR still has a thriving photo lab. It is real.

If there is not one near enough to you (and the weather stays warm), then alternatives include: disposing of small amounts of used fix in the municipal sewer (this is often allowed for low-volume users; check with your local authority) or taking your used fix to a local (hopefully near) hazardous waste disposal facility.

Good luck,

Doremus

MattKing · May 27, 2017

Doremus Scudder said:
I guess I should have said "photo lab" or "photo processing lab" or the like. Anyone that commercially processes film is required to have silvery recovery for their fixer. They are almost always happy to take your spent fixer if they can keep the recovered silver.

Best,

Doremus

I remember discussing this with one of the labs that used to be in business around here about 10 years ago.
They would not consider accepting fixer from any source other than their own lab, because they were concerned about contamination of their silver recovery equipment.

Arklatexian · May 28, 2017

RauschenOderKorn said:
The silver will stay in the tray. There is no problem at all with evaporation, just take care that the bucket is safe for children & animals.

Fixer Evaporation.....

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