Preparation of Ag Nano-Powder from Aqueous Silver Solution through Reductive Precipitation Method

As one of the hydrometallurgical processes available in the recycling of silver-bearing wastes, the preparation of Ag nano-powder was investigated by a reductive precipitation reaction in silver solution using sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate and ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. Silver solution was prepared by dissolving silver nitrate with distilled water, and Tamol NN8906, PVP, SDS and caprylic acid were also used respectively as the dispersant to avoid the agglomeration of particles during the reductive reaction. Ag particles obtained from the reduction reaction from silver solution were characterized using the particle size analyzer and TEM to determine the particle size distribution and morphology. It was found that about excess of sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate was required to reduce completely silver ions in the solution. It alto appeared that the particle size generated with sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate was much greater than that with ascorbic acid. As far as the effect of dispersant on the Ag particles was concerned, the particle size distribution showed typically bimodal distribution in case of Tamol/FVP while very broad distribution ranged from 0.01 to appeared in case of SDS/caprylic acid.