Author Topic: Measuring pH of Silver products  (Read 3358 times)

Offline kephra

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Measuring pH of Silver products
« on: November 19, 2012, 04:21:49 PM »
Measuring pH of Silver products
Copyright 2016 W. G. Peters (aka kephra)

The pH of colloidal silver cannot be measured with a standard electronic pH meter.  This is because the electrode chemistry in the meter itself is based on silver/silver chloride, and these electrodes are known to read erroneously in solutions containing silver and other transition metals.  There is an electrode designed to measure pH in solutions containing transition metals like silver, it is known as a calomel electrode.  Calomel electrodes are based on mercury/mercuric chloride, and are not generally used because of the toxicity of mercury.

For the home user, an accurate pH reading of your colloidal silver can be made using Hydrion pH paper, which is only sensitive to hydrogen ions, and therefore is not bothered by silver in the solution.  Hydrion paper is available in different ranges, so make sure you get one which reads within a few units of 7.

There is a silver generator dealer who claims his colloidal silver has a pH of 10, and one of the members measured it with a silver based pH meter and it did indeed read 10.  The maker makes a big deal out of this claim probably so he can cash in on the alkaline water craze.  However the actual pH is no doubt less than 8.  Measurements of my colloidal silver are about 8.5 using Hydrion paper. This alkalinity is solely due to the sodium electrolyte.

Alkaline solutions feel soapy, slippery.  At pH 10, it should be noticeable.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2024, 09:44:23 PM by kephra »
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