[Jewelry making - Article 00829] - Re: [Orchid] Alka-seltzer?

[K. David Woolley]

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    Aluminum Foil, Baking Soda, and Salt: Place a sheet of aluminum foil
    in the bottom of a pan, add 2-3 inches of water, 1 teaspoon baking
    soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add silver pieces, boil
    2-3 minutes, making sure the water covers the silver pieces. Remove
    silver, rinse, dry, and buff with a soft cloth. This method cleans
    the design and crevices of silver pieces. Toothpaste. To clean off
    tarnish, coat the silver with toothpaste, then run it under warm
    water, work it into a foam, and rinse it off. For stubborn stains or
    intricate grooves, use an old soft-bristled toothbrush. 

    Source: http://doityourself.com/clean/silver.htm 

    Why does baking soda, aluminum and boiling water remove silver
    tarnish? 

    First, we need to understand how and why silver tarnishes. Silver
    undergoes a chemical reaction with sulfur-containing substances in
    the air. Silver combines with sulfur to form silver sulfide, which is
    the black tarnish you find on silver. Remove the silver sulfide, and
    the silver is bright again. The easiest way to remove the tarnish is
    a chemical reaction that converts the silver sulfide without removing
    any of the silver. 

    Oxidization is when a molecule loses electrons. Aluminum has a lower
    ionization energy (energy required to remove electrons from an atom
    of the element) than silver. When the aluminum is oxidized, the silver
    gains the electrons. Depending on the amount of tarnish, the silver
    will be bright and the aluminum foil may be brown with tarnish. The
    silver tarnish is "transferred" to the aluminum via a chemical
    reaction. 

    The silver and aluminum must be in contact with each other because a
    small electric current flows between them during the reaction. This
    type of reaction, which involves an electric current (because atoms
    are charged), is called an electrochemical reaction. Source: 

    http://creativekidsathome.com/activities/science_experiment1.shtml 

Seasons Greetings,
K. David Woolley
david.woolley AT unb.ca

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