Steel wool and blix usability

[narigas2006]

Hi all,

when I put steel wool on my blix (c41) to recover the silver, could I filter it and then reuse the blix or should I do the steel wool thingy only after the blix is dead? Many thanks!

 

[Neanderman]

when I put steel wool on my blix (c41) to recover the silver, could I filter it and then reuse the blix or should I do the steel wool thingy only after the blix is dead? Many thanks!

When you use steel wool to recover silver, what is happening is an ion exchange. For each silver ion that is recovered, a steel ion is released into solution. AFAIK, neither bleach nor fixer that has been put through a steel wool ion exchange, silver recovery process can be reused.

Ed

 

[Photo Engineer]

Actually, the silver is deposited on the steel wool which then is redissolved by the blix which then deposits on the steel wool which then is redissolved by the blix and so on until all of the Iron is used and all of the blix is exhausted. Then you put in some extra steel wool and finish the job.

Steel wool is not a very efficient way to remove silver from blix.

PE

 

[GeorgK]

Another good reason to use bleach and fix (with easy silver recovery) instead of this stupid "blixes".

Regards
Georg