Dissolution behavior of silver/silver oxides in ammoniacal solutions

The leaching behavior of silver and silver oxides in ammonical solutions has been studied. The current study is concerned with the effective recovery of silver from secondary sources such as spent silver batteries. Silver associated with these batteries appears in various forms, including metallic silver, argentous oxide (Ag20) and argentic oxide (AgO). The leaching behavior of metallic silver in ammoniacal solution was studied using an electrochemical method. Oxidants used in this study include hyperchlorite, hydrogen peroxide, bromine and iodine. Results on cyclic polarization and Tafel plots on the silver anode in ammoniacal solutions are presented and the results are discussed. The dissolution rate of metallic silver in ammoniacal solutions is also compared to those of silver oxides.