I would think that a small, slim magnetic stirer would give more reproducible results than the bubbles from a fish tank pump (because the stirer's spin can be controlled), and you can set it at a rate that would keep the silver colloids evenly distributed in the water. As for the magnet interferring with the results--you'll know only after you try it.
Another option is to have a mechanical agitator for the silver container, but unless you can devise one yourself, the ones used in the labs are pretty expensive. If you already have the equipment to make the bubbles, why not try it out to see if you can get consistent reproducible results? :) Joyce On Sun, 12 Jul 1998, M. G. Devour wrote: > Tom Young wrote: > > > >Don't know if this was ever asked before, but.... > > >When making the CS and the "cloud" starts to form between the electrodes, > > >should the CS water be stirred at that point? > > >Maybe this would prevent any large particles from forming? > > >I would think it might slow the process, but would it yield any better > > >quality CS? > > >Maybe it makes no difference? > > Reid wrote: > > > The answer is yes it should be stirred and should prevent larger > > particals. The water becomes more conductive in that cloud area. > > Tom, Reid, your observations are right on. This is one of those > subtle variables that are going to make it hard to standardize a > recipe. > > I keep a milliammeter in line with the electrode circuit. If I don't > touch a thing, the current builds up to a higher value. As soon as I > pull the electrodes and stir the CS, the current falls way back. > > So it's hard to predict how long you're going to have to run to > produce a certain concentration. And we don't know yet how the > particle size is being affected by the varying current flow. > > I hate like *hell* to add another gimick to our setups, but I bet > that continuous gentle stirring would help us be repeatable. > > It could be done with a (rather expensive) stirring hot plate, but > I'm worried that the magnets used to spin the stir-bar would mess > things up. We could put a small propeller attached to a dc motor in > the vessel instead. > > Heating causes convection that is pretty effective at moving things > around in the glass, in my experience. > > One of the most elegant solutions I have thought of is a glass tube > attached to an aquarium air pump through a control valve, so a gentle > stream of bubbles could keep things stirred up, even when operating > at room temperature. > > A setup with the electrodes, a thermometer, and a bubbler tube > through the lid would give you a pretty simple, repeatable way to > go. Combined with a meter for the current, and you'd be able to make > repeatable batches using current, or even time, to decide when > you're "done." > > Just another suggestion. Anyone else? > > Mike D. > > [Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot, Libertarian] > [mdev...@mail.id.net ] > [Speaking only for myself... ] > -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: silver-list-requ...@eskimo.com -or- silver-digest-requ...@eskimo.com with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the subject: line. To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@id.net>
