Silver I Sulfide

Silver(I) sulfide (SILL-ver one SUL-fide) is a grayish-black heavy powder. Most people are familiar with the compound as tarnish, the black coating that covers silver tableware and jewelry when they are exposed to the air. 

Silver(I) sulfide occurs naturally as the minerals acanthite and argentitde, from which they can be extracted by grinding, crushing, and washing the mineral ore. The compound can also be prepared synthetically by passing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas through an aqueous solution of silver nitrate. 

The silver(I) sulfide precipitates out of solution and can be filtered and purified by washing with hot water. 

Silver sulfide. Silver atoms are silver and yellow atom is sulfur. 

Naturally occurring silver(I) sulfide can be used as a source of silver metal. The sulfide is roasted in air, converting silver(I) sulfide to silver(I) sulfate. The sulfate can then be treated chemically to obtain silver metal. The process finds little commercial application since other, more economically efficient, sources of silver are available. 

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Silver(I) Sulfide. The action of hydrogen sulfide on a silver(I) solution gives black Ag2S, which is the least soluble in water of all silver compounds (Ksp = 10"50). The black coating often found on silver articles is the sulfide this can be readily reduced by contact with aluminum in dilute sodium carbonate solution. 

The primary use of silver(I) sulfide is in the production of glazes for ceramics. The compound gives a glassy or metallic sheen to the glaze. It is also used in the process known as niello, first used by the early Greeks and Romans to produce a black, metallic inlay on the surface of pottery. 

Silver(I) sulfide is an irritant to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. No long-term effects of exposure to the compound have been reported. When absorbed through cuts in the skin or ingested it may produce a condition known as argyreia, which causes skin and mucous membranes to develop a bluish-black color. 

Silver Iodide Silver Nitrate Silver(I) Oxide Silver(I) Sulfide... 

Potassium Bisulfate Potassium Sulfate Saccharin Silver(I) Sulfide Sodium Cyclamate Sodium Sulfite Sodium Thiosulfate Sulfur Dioxide Sulfuric Acid Thiamine... 

Calcium Carbonate Calcium Phosphate Calcium Silicate Calcium Sulfate Copper(II) Sulfate Magnesium Chloride Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide Magnesium Sulfate Mercury(II) Sulfide Monosodium Glutamate Perchlorates Potassium Bicarbonate Potassium Bisulfate Potassium Bitartrate Potassium Carbonate Potassium Chloride Potassium Fluoride Potassium Iodide Potassium Nitrate Potassium Sulfate Silver Iodide Silver Nitrate Silver(I) Sulfide Sodium Acetate... 

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