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Silver Chemical Polishing

Dear gentlemen (or ladies):

Can anybody help me? Details are as follows:

I deposited a 1 micron silver layer on the inside of a glass tube (1 mm ID), using the inmersion method. The colour of the silver surface is yellowish. The surface has to be highly reflectant for it is going to be used in an optical device. Do you know which is the best way to chemically polish it?

Thanks for your advise.

Carlos Plcese
- Bariloche, Argentine
2001

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Hello Carlos,

Maybe this could work for you: Get some baking soda [in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and dissolve it in hot water. Put some aluminum foil in a pan, tank or whatever you are working with, add the baking soda mixture and dip the silver articles. Watch the bubbles do their magic! I've heard jewelers do this, however, I'm not sure if your silver is too thin for this to work.

Have fun,

Jake Koch
G. J. Nikolas &Co.,Inc.

Bellwood, Illinois

2001