DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 15:54:57 -0400
Reply-To: Joe Ward <joseph_ward**At_Symbol_Here**ROCKFORD.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Joe Ward <joseph_ward**At_Symbol_Here**ROCKFORD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Silver nitrate mixed with silica
I don't have an exact procedure, but it is common practice to impregnate
silica gel with silver nitrate. This is done for chromatography reason.
Silver increases the selectivity for separating alkenes. I haven't heard of
any explosions.
-Joe Ward
On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 16:02:29 -0500, wayne wolsey wrote:
>Hi,
>Silica is one of the most inert substances known, due to the very strong
>nature of the silicon-oxygen bond. One of the few substances which will
>react with it is HF, or elemental fluorine.
>The resulting formation of the even stronger Si-F bond drives the reaction.
>Also known to react are metals such as magnesium, which can reduce the SiO2
>to elemental Si, under the right conditions at high temperature, or form
>magnesium silicide.
>
>Silver nitrate is an oxidizing agent, and would have little tendency to
>cause a reaction with SiO2.
>
>I found a website which described the stability of silica (SiO2) with
>molten nitrates.
>
>Thus, there should be essentially no reactivity of silica with silver
>nitrate. Of course, heating silver nitrate can cause the evolution of
>nitrogen oxides and silver oxide.
>
>Wayne Wolsey
>Professor of Chemistry
>Macalester College
>651 696-6352
>wolsey**At_Symbol_Here**macalester.edu
>--On Wednesday, October 08, 2003 9:00 AM -0500 Rebecca Schafer
> wrote:r
>
>> An article by Dick Sullivan gives caution regarding mixture of silver
>> nitrate with finely particulated metals like aluminum or zinc. I have
>> read MSDS and other safety information regarding this compound but have
>> found nothing regarding mixture with silica. I am trying to make a 14%
>> silver nitrate silica. The plan was to dissolve the silver nitrate in
>> water add the silica and mix well. Then heat it in a microwave for 10
>> minutes to speed drying. Does anyone have any information to support
>> this procedure?
>>
>> Thanks
>> Rebecca Schafer
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