Category: Making Colloidal Silver

Lifeforce Colloidal Silver.com Misinformation Dispelled

Posted on by Kephra

Recently, Mike from Lifeforcecolloidalsilver.com answered a customers question about an excellent youtube video by zerofossilfuel that was full of Mike’s disinformation.  Zero was demonstrating making true colloidal silver using a constant current system with sodium carbonate as an electrolyte and corn syrup as a reducing agent to convert ionic silver to colloidal silver.  This is a tried and true method, and a similar method is used by bonafide lab researchers when researching the properties of silver colloids.
You can see this misinformation post here.
Lets look at the 3 main responses by Lifeforce Mike:

  1. Mike says the bubbles coming off the cathode are from electrolyzing water.  Well Mike, I’m afraid thats not true.  At the cathode, sodium ions are being reduced to sodium metal, but sodium metal reacts violently with water creating sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.  This is where the hydrogen comes from. Mike goes on to claim that the yellow color of the colloid comes from silver carbonate, but this is also untrue.  If Lifeforce Mike actually knew his chemistry, he would know that dissolving sodium carbonate in water produces sodium hydroxide and carbonic acid.  But carbonic acid is a weak acid with a kA (acid dissociation constant )of about 4.3X10-7. That means that only 1 out of 2.2 million carbonic acid molecules dissociate into ions, whereas all of the sodium remains as ions.  IE:  There are 2.2 million times more hydroxide ions than carbonate ions.  So the amount of silver carbonate created is negligible
  2. Next, Lifeforce Mike goes on to say that the Karo corn syrup together with the sodium carbonate make sodium gluconate.  This is also untrue, as all sodium compounds in water totally dissociate.  What does happen is that the sodium hydroxide from hydrolyzing the sodium carbonate converts the glucose molecule from a ring structure to a linear structure activating it as a reducing agent for silver.  Mike goes on to say now that the sugar caramelizes which causes the yellow color in the solution.  Of course, this is easily disproven simply by mixing the sodium carbonate and Karo to see if it turns yellow…. it does not.  I guess Mike is too lazy to test that.
  3. Mike goes on to criticize Zero for not using the Tyndall test to see if a colloid was produced.  Zero did not have to do this test because he already knew what he had made, as he had followed the scientific method of producing it.  Also, a strong positive Tyndall effect is not really desirable.  The Tyndall effect shows large particles, large enough to reflect light.  Silver nanoparticles are much smaller than light waves and hence do not reflect light.  So a positive Tyndall means the particles are not small enough to be therapeutically effective.  Silver nanoparticles instead exhibit the Plasmon Resonance effect which makes them filter out light of a specific frequency, normally blue light.  This leave red and green which the eye sees as yellow color.Mike yet makes another mistake by saying that ionic silver is tasteless while silver nanoparticles taste metallic.  The human tongue’s taste buds are sensitive only to ions and very small proteins.   Being much larger than ions or proteins, silver nanoparticles cannot trigger taste buds, and therefore are tasteless.Mike’s last bone of contention is that ZeroFossil used 0.999 pure silver instead of 0.9999.  Mike thinks this bad because of the possible contaminants in 0.999 silver.  The truth is that any contaminants caused by the 0.999 silver will be in the parts per billion range, which is far purer than any drinking water, and is absolutely no health hazard.  There is nothing wrong with using 0.9999 purity silver, but there is also no need to worry about it.

In summation, Lifeforce Mike is a good example of how a little knowledge without understanding is a bad thing.
In 2008, I started the colloidal silver forum to combat the plethora of misinformation about colloidal silver which pollutes the internet.  It seems to be a losing battle.

A Truly Vorpal Anode….

Posted on by cfnisbet

This is a picture of the largest Anode available from an electroplating supplier.
The anode is approximately four feet long and three inches wide, and is a dog-bone cross-section (that is, the edges are swollen to give a more even erosion pattern in use). The anode weighs 5.256 kg which is approximately eleven and a half pounds avoirdupois, or, if you want to be pedantic, just over fourteen Troy pounds. It is made of solid .999 fine Silver.
There is a metal 1-foot ruler beside it at the base for comparison.
I thought you might like to see a picture of it, before it went to the buyer. At current prices, I am told it cost £2092 plus tax (USD 3,115). The tax added another £420 (USD 625). It would be interesting to work out how many litres of CS it would make.
IMG_3158a

Factors Affecting Turbidity in Sugar-Reduced CS

Posted on by cfnisbet

I had noticed some time ago, that a few of my production batches of sugar-reduced CS were slightly turbid. Some were not; bizarrely the clearest and most perfect lack of turbidity came from the two batches I made using water that was less-than-optimum (to say the least) that is, the rainwater batch (30 ppm) and the dehumidifier water batch (20 ppm). The absolute crystal clarity of these two batches, made casually and without much thought, lead me to this experiment.
I am making successive batches, all aiming for 20 ppm, with small electrodes (to start with) and a CC of 9 mA. in a DW volume of 350 mls. I am changing the amount of syrup, the drops of Sodium Hydroxide (readers should substitute Sodium Carbonate if desired for greater safety) and the heat used in the manufacture of each batch. I shall comment on the turbidity or otherwise of each finished batch. I hope that I shall find only one significant variable, but I wish to document all batches. Others may comment as desired on suggested combinations.
Temp                                  NaOH 1M drops             Drops of Syrup            Turbidity
Control (Heat/No Syrup)             2                                       0                         Clear
Ambient < T < 60 C                      2                                       1                          V. Clear
70 Deg C                                         4                                        1                          Almost None (Product was already yellow from heat)
Ambient (cold)                              4                                   (trace)                      Clear
70 Deg C (V large anode)             4                                        2                          Clear
70 Deg C (small anode)                1                                   (trace)                      Visibly turbid
I have come to the following conclusions:
1) The amount of syrup is almost irrelevant, even the smallest amount works. I cannot work out what is happening chemically, as this is not a logical conclusion; however it would appear that there is some form of catalytic reaction (?) but would welcome comments from others.
2) The best results come from adding sufficient electrolyte to bring the current into the CC zone. Fortunately, this also means the final strength can be accurately calculated (unless one is fortunate enough to possess a SilverTron).
3) It is better to add the syrup at the end of the run.
4) It is better to use heat as well as syrup/glucose/fructose. The heat does not have to be boiling, 70 Deg C is adequate, but should be sustained for a sufficient length of time to ensure full reduction.
5) Both syrup and Cinnulin do not require heat to work, if energy consumption/cost is a factor.
6) The best results were from the fifth run, but the fourth was virtually as good. I suspect the amperage, amount of syrup and production temperature are not critical factors.

The Difference Between .999 & .9999 Silver

Posted on by cfnisbet

A lot of people are a little bemused by the propensity for some CS manufacturing websites who say that they “Only Use .9999 Fine Silver” and how only the higher grade is any good. This is what Jason Hommel (a Silver Bullion dealer) has to say about the difference between .999 and .9999 fine Silver:
“Ah, here’s another little gem for the silver bugs.  There is no discernible difference between .999 silver and .9999 silver.  I finally have several sources that back up my statement.  First, in any melt bucket, all the impurities in the silver will rise to the top, and can be skimmed or blasted off of the top of the molten silver. But the melt bucket does not refine the silver, that’s done through electrolysis. It’s therefore the same process for .999 and .9999 silver.  The difference is only in the label and the marketing, in my expert, well researched opinion.  I have tested .999 silver on an x-ray fluorescence tester, and it reads out at .9999 fine.  I have asked several mints and refiners and industry experts all the same question, and they all say the same thing, they don’t know of any difference between .999 vs. .9999 silver, because of all the same reasons, because it’s all the same process, except for the final stamp at the end of the line.  Maybe .9999 silver is more fraudulent, because they are overselling their product?  Maybe .9999 silver becomes .999 silver if you contaminate it with a thumbprint?  But the melt bucket does not care or distinguish between 999 silver vs. 9999.  I am open to the possibility that I’m wrong, but so far, I have not seen any measurable difference between 999 vs 9999 labelled silver.”
http://silverstockreport.com/2013/silver-market-facts.html
DON’T BOTHER buying .9999 fine Silver for your Anodes. Use .999 fine; it’s perfectly good. There are more impurities in the Distilled Water than the difference between the two grades of metal.

The Prepper Notes

Posted on by cfnisbet

A growing number of people consider that “Prepping” (as Americans put it) is an advisable policy; preparing beforehand for some foreseeable but hopefully-unlikely disaster, so that one’s family can survive that disaster in reasonable shape. Even the British government, not known since WWII for its’ caring attitude to the man in the street, advises us to have two weeks’ worth of food and money in the home.
As it is likely that a Government would be under some pressure to bring back a civilised way of life in a reasonably short time, a family would need to be able to endure a true “Survival Phase” of maybe two weeks or so, but there would then be a phase of a few months, which we might refer to as the “Aftermath Phase” where everyone gets back to their normal state…
…of being kept in the metaphorical dark by TPTB and fed on Panem et Circenses by the government.
Whether this would involve TPTB hoping for a thinning-out of so-called useless eaters, I do not know, but anyone who reads this forum and blog does not come into that category. Everyone has their favorite list of facilities, preparations and contents for their bug-out bag, but while I’m not actually going into any lists here (there’s plenty on the Internet), I would hope that everyone would have a CS-making kit with them for the “Aftermath Phase”, when disease may be an issue.
Waterborne disease is always going to be a problem if the mains water supply is not available. Most flooding events in the UK have also involved the sewerage system lifting the manholes in the road, causing raw sewage to mix with surface water, contaminating all water sources which are not sealed from the environment.
So, you’ve got your battery powered CS generating gear. I am deeply grateful that mine’s a SilverTron:
SilverTron Store
although a CST4 battery-powered CS generator from GoodVitality would do:
GoodVitality CST4 CS-Making Machine
and you could make your own very basic version, from the instructions here:
Kephra’s Articles – CS Production Part II
You will certainly have your pure Silver electrode(s). They will be .999 fine; DON’T bother paying for .9999 fine; and some 9V PP3 batteries. You will have a small quantity of cinnamon powder, a bottle of Vodka (good for trading or fire-lighting as well as making cinnamon tincture), a bottle of Sodium Hydroxide or Sodium Carbonate and a bottle of Karo Corn Syrup (USA/CAN) or Golden Syrup (UK).
Excellent; now all we need is some unpolluted, clean distilled water in a sealed container…
Um; perhaps I could distill my own water. Now where is my mains distiller? I’ll just plug it in…
How about that bottle of dehydrated water that Mr Snake-oil sold me; he said it only needed to be rehydrated with some distilled …
Damn.
All the answers boil down (excuse the pun) to a supply of water clean enough to use for CS-making. I came to this conclusion a while ago, and made sure that I always keep 250 litres of distilled water on hand in my home. It is very expensive bottled water if used for drinking, but I don’t think I would care, if the time came. It will last me and my wife for about four weeks if we had nothing else, and could be used straight out of the sealed plastic bins to make any version of CS. However, suppose we didn’t have this?
Most homes have a water-tank, but this is “contaminated” with chlorine, so although it can be used for drinking-water, it cannot be used for making CS. I can see at least three other sources of reasonably good water in or around my home, that are fairly pure without needing to be distilled, and which are not likely to be badly contaminated. My rainwater butts collect rainwater from my roof, and the dust (and any radio-active particles) settle out in the first water-butt. The overflow goes into the second water-butt, and this would be perfectly good for drinking-water, straight from the water-butt tap. Better, but available in smaller volumes, melted ice from the freezer would puddle in the bottom of the cabinet if the mains failed. Even better still, my dehumidifiers collect water that is almost distilled-quality, condensed from water vapour in the air. (Homes in the USA might consider collecting the distillate from any air-conditioners, allowing any overflow to run away to the drain. This water is made by the same process as a dehumidifier, and would be of an equivalent purity if kept in a covered tank).
Could these be used for making CS? If it is possible, the end-product would be self-sterilising.
I took 350 mls of rainwater and 350 mls of condensate from my dehumidifier. I tested the water samples with a TDS meter and the rainwater came out at 28 uS, the dehumidifier water tested at 8 uS. I thought this would be too high for use as CS feedwater, and was quite disappointed by the dehumidifier sample. As a dehumidifier makes water by condensing water vapour, I had hoped for a better TDS result.
However, I hooked up the CS machine to make sugar-reduced hot CS (perhaps you will allow the use of hot water for the purpose of this experiment). After electrolysing the dehumidifier water for approximately 11 minutes and the rainwater for about 15 minutes at about 10 mA (I let the rainwater overcook a bit), I took a wooden stirrer (from Starbucks) with a faint smear of Golden Syrup on the end, and immersed it into the hot water.
The rainwater was a bit over-cooked, around 30 ppm, but the colour of both samples was perfect, with zero turbidity and crystal clear deep yellow (for the dehumidifier water) and light brown (for the rainwater).
I MUST STRESS that this is an emergency technique for use when distilled or de-ionised water is not available. You should ALWAYS use distilled or de-ionised water when it is obtainable. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the results, which I will use with confidence.
DSCF0366a

The "Old" Forum is back again…

Posted on by cfnisbet

The old forum is back again for those who wish to contribute to these websites, the most valuable two resources for CS and CG on this Planet (OK, I might be exaggerating a little).
http://forum.cgcsforum.com/index.php
This blog will run in tandem with the forum. There is a slightly different emphasis between the Blog and the Forum, but both are intended to be a teaching resource for the uses of Colloidal Silver and Colloidal Gold. The Blog address is similar;
http://blog.cgcsforum.com/
If you click a link within the Forum, it will re-direct to the Blog. To reach the correct part of the Forum, remove the “www” at the beginning of the Forum link and substitute “forum” (without the inverted commas). This will take you to the correct link. For example:
http://www.cgcsforum.com/index.php/topic,704.0.html
directs to the blog, but substituing the “forum” becomes;
http://forum.cgcsforum.com/index.php/topic,704.0.html
Which reaches the correct place.
 
 

Concern about Corn Syrup from GMO Corn

Posted on by Kephra

I had a gentleman voice concerns to me about using corn syrup to make colloidal silver because the corn may have been genetically modified. I think more and more people are rightfully waking up to the possible dangers of genetically modified foods, so others may have the same concerns.
Corn syrup is a mixture of two sugars, glucose and fructose. It also has a small amount of salt and vanilla flavoring. Corn syrup is made from corn starch. Starches are long chains of glucose molecules which are broken down into single sugar molecules during the processing.
A molecule of glucose or fructose is identical in all respects to any other molecule of glucose of fructose regardless of its source. Sugar molecules contain no genetic material, and any aberrant proteins resulting from the modified genes cannot be present in the sugar molecules. Therefore, there is no risk from using corn syrup derived from GMO corn.

Electrode Geometry

Posted on by cfnisbet

This post is to illustrate the effects of different spacing and sizes of electrodes. You will soon get an understanding of the best spacing for your own chosen electrodes, but you should know the principles. All the following “rules” are actually approximations, but you will be able to fine-tune them yourself. This is probably the most important subject to learn once you have mastered the basics.
If you double the size of your electrode, you should be able to double the current. Note that only the side of the anode which faces the cathode should be used to calculate the area. Kephra found that the best results used about 1 ma per square centimetre with the distilled water kept hot, and using a stirrer if possible.
I only use a stirrer if “cooking” cold. I find that the convection currents are adequate to stir the DW, but if you have a stirrer, laboratory or home-made, then use that. More vigorous stirring is better, the idea being to sweep the silver ions away from the anode as fast as possible.
Maximise the anode size, minimise the cathode area. A piece of copper wire, stainless steel or brass is fine, unless the current is set to alternate polarity at intervals.
1 ma per square centimetre of submerged anode area for the suggested current when processing DW hot.
10 ma per square inch of submerged anode area when processing DW hot.
2 or 3 ma per sq inch of anode area when processing cold.
Moving the electrodes closer together increases the amperage (until the set-point of the constant-current circuit is reached).
For a Silver wire anode, 4 inches submerged depth, we suggest no higher current than 3 ma cold and 6 ma hot-processed. 12 gauge wire is 2 mm in diameter.
Remember that the effective area of an anode is that which is facing the cathode (the reverse side has much less effect) and of course, submerged in the DW. Do not allow suspension devices or parts of the holder to touch the DW unless they are made of the same quality of silver as the anode.
If you seem to need a lot of electrolyte and want to use less, increase the size of the electrodes or move them closer together.
If you need to use more electrolyte to prevent cathode plating, raise more of the cathode out of the water, or increase the electrode spacing.
If you are using a circuit with a constant-current limiter, connect a voltmeter across the electrodes and connect an ammeter in series between the positive connector of the PSU and the anode. Once the water is up to the operating temperature, measure the voltage across the electrodes in air.  Submerge the electrode array. Add electrolyte until the voltage starts to drop to about 90 per cent of the original value. This indicates that the constant-current circuit is now operating to control the voltage in order to maintain the current. Note the current. The operating voltage should be as high as reasonably possible, between 20 and 30 volts (at the beginning of the process) is ideal. If possible, maintain the voltage over 10 volts by moving the electrode spacing.
If each drop of Sodium Carbonate makes too big a change in the measured voltage across the electrode array, then dilute the electrolyte and use more drops of a more dilute product.
If you are getting hydrogen and oxygen bubbles coming off the electrodes in any significant quantity, then either the current is too high or stirring is too slow. Increase the speed of the stirrer or use a miniature water pump.
To increase the electrode voltage, reduce the area of the cathode exposed to the water. You can even raise the cathode out of the water so far that the tip of the cathode wire is just touching the water, but ensure that the evaporation of the DW does not leave the cathode out of the water during your production process.
Professional electro-platers use a “dog-bone anode” where the thin edges of the plate are swollen and rounded off, because the electrical field is concentrated at sharp edges. You can see this effect when running with too little electrolyte, as the oxide accumulates on the edges of the strip of Silver. I am unsure whether this would have any significant effect for our application. I personally ignore this effect.

Give your Experiences here

Posted on by cfnisbet

This is the part of the blog for your experiences or difficulties in making CS. You can ask for help, boast about your results, or offer advice and ideas to others.
Just remember that we are all researchers in this field. Neither Kephra or I are doctors, and we don’t/won’t/can’t give any medical advice. We are just putting on record what we have found to work in our own experience, for us. That is why this section is so important, as the dose-rates are essential to the successful use of CS in all its’ forms.

Production of High-ppm CS with Orchestra

Posted on by cfnisbet

As CS is so useful in a USA bug-out bag, otherwise known in Britain as a gentleman’s picnic hamper, I thought I would add some notes for the production of Cinnamon-reduced CS at 100 ppm.
The purpose of such high-ppm CS is NOT for taking a higher amount of Silver in the same dose. It is for the purpose of ease of transport. The resulting product can be diluted with any reasonably clean water to give standard 20 ppm bright-yellow CS, so two half-litres of 100 ppm CS are equivalent to just over a gallon (five litres) of 20 ppm CS, a very useful saving in weight and cost of distilled water.
The process is remarkably similar to production of 20 ppm cinnamon-reduced CS but with each 20 ppm run repeated five times. The set-up is much the same as that on the previous posting about cinnamon-reduced CS, but you will need a few extra items.
First, hire an orchestra. They will need good nerves. Then you will need to hire a Monster. These are available from Pinewood Studios for a reasonable sum, but they insist that the Monster must be accompanied by a wrangler, known in the trade as a Henchman, hired at extra cost. You will need a laboratory with a skylight giving a view of the night sky.
A set of tables giving the phases of the moon is highly desirable, and the weather forecast can be obtained in the UK Met Office on Tel: +441392885680. You will need to pick a night with a violent thunderstorm for your experiment.
Obtain the services of a good roofer, and engage him to attach a stout copper lightning-conductor to the chimney, or if you are fortunate in your choice of home, upon the battlements.
On the chosen night, go out after dark and soundly thrash your Werewolf if he disturbs the local peasants too much. In the event that the peasantry gather with pitchforks and scythes outside the curtilage, an appearance upon the roof of your home, laughing manically, will deter them.
As the storm gathers, set up the CS equipment and adjust the hotplate to heat a measured volume of distilled water. It should be just hot enough to make small bubbles at the bottom of the reaction vessel, but not hot enough for a rolling-boil. Mark the level of the water, as you will need to top up the water during the process. Start the current and add sodium carbonate drop by drop, until the voltage drops a little, perhaps to about 90 per cent of the initial voltage. Add 2mls of cinnamon extract to the reaction vessel for every litre of distilled water. Ensure that the maximum Silver anode is exposed to the water, minimum cathode, and start the timer. This whole process is much simpler if you buy a SilverTron I, but the instructions are for a normal laboratory PSU.
Inform the conductor that he needs to start the orchestra off. Something slow and benign, possibly classical; or maybe a tune from a favourite film of yours. Have him build to a crescendo over the next three hours while the process takes place. Any liquid refreshments should not be coloured red, as it will panic the second violins, who are made of less stern stuff than the brass section. Sandwiches should contain meat that is immediately identifiable, for the same reason. At the height of the storm, as the lightning is melting the copper conductor, then occupy yourself by going out onto the roof again, to ensure you have not lost too many peasants to the Werewolf. Ensure that Hench has strapped the Monster down tightly, and then return to your laboratory for the next part of the process.
Run the first 20 ppm, then stop the current and fire-clean the anode by heating it in a gas flame until the oxide coating goes white (reverts back to metallic Silver). Then top up the reaction vessel with more distilled water and repeat the process run, five times. At the end of the process, the 100 ppm CS will look like motor oil, but if you dilute it 1 part 100 ppm CS to four parts of water (remember it does not need to be distilled water for the purpose of dilution AFTER the end of the process) then you should be back to yellow 20 ppm CS. If the colour looks correct, and there is no significant taste, then you are finished.
Kephra has demonstrated this process with gelatine as an alternative to cinnamon, but the cinnamon tincture is an easy way to start and practice before going on to more advanced methods.