How to Make & Use Liver of sulfur

A. Hi, Chris. Liver of sulfur for jewelry blackening is widely available and very inexpensive. You can buy it as crystals or as a pre-diluted liquid. Except for exceptionally large industrial users, it's probably much cheaper and certainly a lot safer to buy a commercial product. Here are a couple of sources ⇨

I don't know for sure the context where you read "caustic", but the word is not just an adjective, it is also slang for "caustic soda ⇦liquid caustic soda in bulk on Amazon [affil link] " (sodium hydroxide). This is a very strong chemical that should probably be reserved for industrial use. Good luck.

Regards,

A. Liver of sulfur is sulfurated potash mostly consists of potassium polysulfides. It is alkaline, and will turn silver and some other metals black on contact.

A. caustic soda ⇦liquid caustic soda in bulk on Amazon [affil link] is indeed corrosive to skin, and that is usually what is meant when a chemical is designated corrosive, but so is acid a corrosive. Caustic soda is very alkaline, the hydroxyl ion [OH]- is very reactive, which is what attacks skin, and a strong acid, like sulfuric or hydrochloric is corrosive because the proton [H]+ in the molecule is very reactive.

Your question seems to be related to how to keep the sulfide at a high enough pH so that we don't generate H₂S (hydrogen sulfide (gas)), which is what happens if the pH gets too low. You would most likely use sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) or potassium Hydroxide (caustic potash) to adjust the pH of your solution to keep it above 8 or 9, I suppose this would be high enough. What does your formula call for as a pH level?

These sulfides used for antiquing will generate hydrogen sulfide gas if improperly used, this is a deadly gas.

Dumping large amounts into the sewer could potentially put sewer workers at risk, if for some reason, the dump encountered an acid dump by someone else into the same sewer. Unlikely, but possible.

!! I normally don't get into this discussion BUT in Condensed Chemical Dictionary ⇦[this on Amazon affil links], 1971 it states "Liver of a term formally used to characterize compounds containing sulfides etc --------.The word is outmoded and should be avoided." This is said in 1971.

If you wish to use "liver of sulfur" you can purchase at gardening supplies nurseries as "lime sulfur", calcium polysulfide. If you wish to antique then dilute to 1-10 ml/litre. If you wish to strip copper use 50% strength.

But please don't try to "MAKE" it if you don't understand, i.e., actually KNOW about chemistry.

A. Here...

How to use Liver of sulfur
By: John A. Foutz

Liquid oxidizers (Win-Ox, Silver Black, etc.) are easy to apply but are too easily removed. The chemical also tends to creep out long after the work is finished unless the piece is rinsed very thoroughly.
Liver of sulfur is the most effective oxidizer of sterling silver I know of in both cost and performance. It, unfortunately, is the least easy to apply. It penetrates and thus is the most resistant ...

Copy and paste this link in your navigation bar for the Foutz article:
www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive/9711/msg00480.htm David Dolata
- Ripon, Wisconsin

A. We use Lime sulfur solution (Calcium polysulfide is the a.i.) as a fungicide, and you guys should realize that although not a restricted pesticide, it does have a very nasty acute effect to eyes and other sensitive areas. Proper mixing attire would be the following: face shield ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , long sleeves and pants, coveralls, PVC mixing apron ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , chemical resistant boots and rubber gloves ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . With a pH of around 10, it is caustic enough to do permanent damage quite easily. This earns it a DANGER label-- skull and crossbones type stuff. Yet it is organic. Good stuff, but respect it, people!

A. Liver of sulfur is not "lime sulfur", calcium polysulfide, but is a synonym for potassium polysulfide or potash sulfurated. Please do not heat the solution or add it to acid as the material reacts (with acid or steam) to evolve hydrogen sulfide gas, which is toxic, flammable, explosive, and even corrosive when moist.

A. Hi, cousin Svet.

Geoff has implied -- and I agree with him (although you certainly don't have to) -- that if you don't know the answer, it means you haven't had sufficient chemical training to safely engage in trying to make compounds and mixtures of this sort :-)

Sort of like if you have to ask where to start the incision for an appendectomy, you probably shouldn't try to perform one :-)

Regards,

Brass Black Metal Finish on

eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Liver of sulfur-(LOS) Sulphated Potash...All names for a quite traditional Copper Patina. For what it is worth, the gentlemen posting the question about applying a patina to a copper plated gun barrel, one must use caution as the plating is often quite thin. LOS is quite aggressive, and has been my experience that it will often blast the plating right off the object. Maybe a selenous acid base patina? Check out Sculpt Nouveau. Birchwood Technologies [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] has a nice black patina .

Working with LOS most every day one must take caution. It can be absorbed through the skin, and the toxic component, Hydrogen sulfide gas ("Rotten Egg Smell") deadens your sense of smell as you are exposed to it, making you unaware of the risk. I have become quite ill from accidental exposure to the gas by allowing LOS to combine with something as simple as some citric acid ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] pickle solution, or even Barkeepers Friend ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . Anything with a pH of 6 or lower is to avoid!

You'll do fine to wear rubber gloves ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , glasses at least. Good ventilation! Of course, I am doing large areas; small things like jewelry might not let off more Hydrogen sulfide than a fart. (Yes, that's what that is.)

Charlie

A. Liver of sulfur is very volatile. Once mixed with water the solution will be active for a day at best! Don't dissolve all the yellow lumps and hope to keep solution for next time!

Having owned and operated a bronze art foundry for 20 years my advise is switch to sodium polysulfide. this is sold under the name of zinc purifier. It is supplied as a slurpy deep amber colored liquid. This has the same coloring effect on metals as liver of sulfur but the liquid is nowhere near as volatile, meaning the room will not smell and the solution when mixed will stay active for weeks! Good if you have to mix a bath tub sized tank full at a time.

This for those brave enough is much easier to produce yourself.

"Dissolve 480 grams of Na2S.9H2O in 500 ml of water, add 40 grams of NaOH and 18 grams of sulfur. Stir thoroughly and dilute to 1 liter with water"

I know that someone always says "hey mate its safer to buy, leave it to the pros" right! But for anyone living in the rest of the world, often many things taken for granted in the developed world are just not available and there is no choice. Knowledge means choice!

Dave

A. I don't know the answer, Holly, but I understand that most relatively mild chemicals have little effect on most stones -- although I'm starting to see some warning signs at jewelry counters that they have coated their stones for better color; I hope someone can be more definitive.

But it's usually good to remind people that although pearls are often used in jewelry in pretty much the same fashion as stones, pearls are not stones, and they react to chemicals much differently than stones do. Treat pearls as a separate thing from stones when reading messages about jewelry stones. When you read that something does not affect stones, it does not mean that it doesn't affect pearls!

A. Hi, Annette. If you are using the pre-diluted liquid liver of sulfur with good ventilation, on small pieces, and you avoid acidifying it with vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or anything else, it sounds pretty safe. Safer would be seal it in a plastic bag overnight with crushed hard boiled eggs, but I think they might be too slow and variable to really do the job. Let us know if you find otherwise!

Regards,

A. A safe inexpensive way to patina copper is simply to add feline urine and let it sit until desired results are achieved. Dipping different textured paper towels and toilet tissue in the urine and placing on the copper will give different textures and patterns.

Make sure to keep it wet. Don't forget the gloves :)

A. Hi, Kari. For countertops that are a dark antique brown like yours, I think it would help a lot even if not a perfect match. Wearing rubber gloves, sponge on a very dilute mixture and see how it goes.
For bright countertops, Brasso and other brass/copper cleaners should remove the raw orange look with a few applications.

Regards,