Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Silver for chlorine/bromine corrosion resistance

 

Anyone have experience with silver plate over carbon steel (compared to copper/nickel/chrome over steel) in a swimming pool/spa environment? I understand that silver vessels were used for HCl & HF in the days before plastics in the same way that lead was used for H2SO4, but I have also heard that silver bullion corrodes away in sea water.

I guess the question is how does the silver chloride behave on the surface of the silver?

Robert Jaegly
- Ft. Wash, Maryland

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Silver is attacked by moist bromine iodine and chlorine and vigorously by HCl. Silver is resistant to acetic acid [on eBay or Amazon], HF and phosphoric acid, so I don't think silver is a good choice for a pool environment.

The other problem, even if the silver would be resistant, is that you would need a nonporous deposit to prevent corrosion of the underlying steel. This would require a thick, and probably multilayer, deposit of resistant metal. The best way to make a barrier layer over steel would be to plate 1 mil of copper, mechanically polish, plate 1 mil of nickel, polish, 1 mil of bright nickel, polish. This would be very expensive, and other materials would be a better choice.

  
Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania

How do you remove the effect of chlorine or bromine on silver?

Gary Borger
- Cherry Hill, New Jersey
May 17, 2009