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Question

Explain how silver is extracted from its chief ore.

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Solution

Extraction of Silver from the Argentite ore. Silver is extracted from the argentite or by the Mac-Arthur and Forrest's cyanide process.
The various steps involved in this process are:
(1) Concentration: Tfe crushed ore is concentrated by froth-floatation process.
(2) Treatement of the ore with NaCN: The concentrated ore is treated with 0.40.6% solution of sodium cyanide for several hours. The mixture is continuously agitated by a current of air, so that Ag present in the ore is converted into soluble sodium argento complex.
Ag2S+4NaCN2Na[Ag(CN)2]+Na2S
(3) Precipitation of silver: The solution containing Sodium argento cyanide is filtered to remove insoluble impurities and filtrate is treated with zinc dust, silver, gets precipitated
2Na[Ag(CN)2]+ZnNa2[Zn(CN)4]+2Ag
(4) Electrolyte refining: The impure silver is further purified by electrolyte refining. The impure silver is made the anode while a thin sheet or pure silver act as the cathode. The electrolyte is silver nitrate acidified with 1% nitric acid. On passing electricity pure silver gets deposited at the cathode.

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