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Silver Nitrate
In Manufacturing
Silver Plating - electroplating Silver onto a base metal such as Nickel. Mirrors - you can Google "Tollen's Reagent" to learn all about this process. Hair Dye. Inks, like indelible, permanent fabric marker pens. Explosives, like Silver Fulminate, Silver Azide and Silver Acetylide. Pharmaceuticals. It prevents premature shrinking or dropping of buds and blooms, in cut flowers. (2.83% solution) It inhibits cut flowers from making ethylene, which causes them to ripen.
In Biology
A stain for proteins and nucleic acids. A stain in scanning electron microscopy. Detecting Calcium in tissue samples. Google "Von Kossa's Silver Nitrate" for more information. To kill "Silvery Thread Moss" on golf greens - Use 8 grams Silver Nitrate per Gallon of Distilled Water, spray on moss. NOTE: Be extremely careful not to get this solution on your skin, mark the bottle boldly and clearly!
In Medical History
A 1% Silver Nitrate solution was used as eye drops to prevent eye disease in newborn infants of mothers with certain infectious diseases. For example, 1% solutions are effective against gonococcal bacteria. (1-2 drops were used) Note: The above procedure began in 1881, it's now obsolete. Today we use Erythromycin and Tetracycline
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http://www.saltlakemetals.com/Silver_Nitrate_Uses.htm
A Cauterizing Agent. Dentists sometimes use it infused in swabs to help heal mouth ulcers. Doctors sometimes used it to remove warts. (but I don't know the procedure) Taken internally, however, Silver Nitrate is a poison. Ingesting Silver Nitrate causes bad abdominal pain and gastroenteritis. The estimated lethal dose of Silver Nitrate is 2-10 grams. (between 1/3 to 2 teaspoons) Note that Silver Nitrate has an extrememly bitter taste, even in small concentrations. For example, this author (Rocky) has tasted it. It has a very foul taste! Toughened Silver Nitrate is molded Silver Nitrate, hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride, called "Caustic Pencils" or "Lunar Caustic". Silver Nitrate tends to be very toxic to bacteria and other lower life forms.
In Photography
Very high purity Silver Nitrate is the starting material for all chemical based photography. It's not the Silver Nitrate that is light sensitive, it's the Silver Halides that matter. Film contains a carefully formulated coating of Silver Chloride, Silver Bromide and Silver Iodide. The particles are ground to extremely fine particles, then mixed with a gelatin. The gelatin is then rolled onto a clear acetate backing (the film base). This process, in it's entirety, is performed in complete darkness.
In Ceramics
Silver Nitrate is used when firing pottery in a kiln to make beautiful colors. (Raku Glazes) For example: 1 gram Silver Nitrate in 50 grams Distilled Water makes a 'Silver Wash' for pottery.
Cautions - General
ALWAYS wear eye protection when working with Silver Nitrate.
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NEVER work with Silver Nitrate without eye protection. NEVER get Silver Nitrate powder or solutions into your eyes. Silver nitrate, while not harmful to mammals, is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. ALWAYS dissolve Silver Nitrate powder into Distilled Water (the kind at the Grocery Store). NEVER use Tap Water when dissolving Silver Nitrate powder - it will turn 'milky' (dilute Silver Chloride).
See Also: Buy Silver Nitrate we sell 50g 100g 500g and 1000g Quantities See Also: Silver Nitrate Facts and information See Also: Silver Nitrate Formula and interesting facts See Also: How to Make your own Silver Nitrate Standard Solutions See Also: Solubility of Silver Nitrate in various solutions, plus Lab Notes See Also: Silver Nitrate MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) See Also: All Silver Products and Prices See Also: Silver Facts for chemical information about Silver Compounds Home | Silver | Gold | Contact | Order
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