Silver dip: what's the secret?
I've recently "restored" some rather grotty-looking (silver plated) BNC's with a very old jar of Goddard's Silver Dip. This dip really does work, and even cleans the centre-pins.
Now, I seem to remember once reading that this solution reduces the silver (sulphide) back to silver, so you weren't actually losing any silver in the process. However, the instructions on the jar (which must be 20+ years old) state that you should not leave objects in the solution for more than 5 minutes or so: which might be interpreted as a surface removal process?
Does anyone happen to know the chemistry involved?
John
NB A a small deposit of colourless crystals has formed in the bottom of this jar.
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