Imitation Silver Alloys.
The undermentioned white alloys have their various uses in the
industrial and mechanical arts, some being employed as common silver,
whilst others are manufactured as near as possible in imitation of it,
and used as a substitute, for many purposes. In melting the alloys
in which nickel and several other compounds enter into combination,
unless very great care be exercised, it is a difficult matter to
maintain the true and definite proportion of each metal of which the
alloy proper is composed, owing to the loss of the more fusible metals
by volatilization, if allowed to remain too long in the furnace. The
best method of preparing the compound for the crucible, is to mix
the copper and nickel together. The latter is produced from the pure
oxide of nickel; therefore it is taken in this form and placed in the
crucible with the copper at the commencement of the operation. When
these ingredients are well melted, and incorporated by stirring, add
the zinc or other fusible metal required to make up the compound,
previously heating it thoroughly over the mouth of the _crucible_, to
prevent the chilling of the already molten metal which it contains.
When silver forms a component part in any of these alloys it should
be added at the beginning of the process along with those of a high
degree of fusibility, and reduced under the protection of a suitable
flux; charcoal being the best for the purpose. This flux also tends to
preserve the fusible metals, upon their addition to the melted compound
in the pot, from too suddenly flying away in the shape of fumes. The
best zinc of commerce should be employed in these alloys, which is sold
under the name of spelter.
Common silver alloy alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 0 17 0
Nickel 0 13 0
-------------
2 10 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 0 0
Nickel 0 15 0
-------------
2 15 0
=============
Common silver alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 3 0
Nickel 0 17 0
-------------
3 0 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 6 0
Nickel 0 19 0
-------------
3 5 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 9 0
Nickel 1 1 0
-------------
3 10 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 12 0
Nickel 1 3 0
-------------
3 15 0
=============
Common silver alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 15 0
Nickel 1 5 0
-------------
4 0 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 2 2 12
Nickel 1 7 12
-------------
4 10 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 3 10 0
Nickel 1 10 0
-------------
5 0 0
=============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 0 16 0
Nickel 0 10 12
Spelter 0 3 12
--------------
2 10 0
==============
Common silver alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 0 19 0
Nickel 0 12 0
Spelter 0 4 0
------------
2 15 0
============
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Shot copper 1 2 0
Nickel 0 15 0
Spelter 0 3 0
------------
3 0 0
============
Chinese silver--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Spelter 0 6 0
Nickel 0 4 0
Cobalt 0 3 18
Silver 0 0 18
------------
1 14 12
============
Imitation silver--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Nickel 0 6 12
Spelter 0 4 18
------------
1 11 6
============
Imitation silver--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Spelter 0 12 0
Nickel 0 8 0
-----------
2 0 0
===========
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Spelter 0 8 0
Nickel 0 4 0
-----------
1 12 0
===========
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Spelter 0 10 0
Nickel 0 10 0
-----------
2 0 0
===========
Another--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Nickel 0 8 8
Spelter 0 6 16
-----------
1 15 0
===========
White alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Tin 0 10 6
Brass 0 2 12
Arsenic 0 0 18
-------------
1 13 12
=============
Clark's patent alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Nickel 0 3 18
Spelter 0 1 22
Tin 0 0 12
Cobalt 0 0 12
-------------
1 6 16
=============
White alloy--
oz. dwts. grs.
Shot copper 1 0 0
Tin 0 10 0
Arsenic 0 1 0
-------------
1 11 0
=============
Alloy with platinum--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Platinum 0 5 0
-------------
1 5 0
=============
Alloy with palladium--
oz. dwts. grs.
Fine silver 1 0 0
Palladium 0 5 0
-------------
1 5 0
=============
The platinum and palladium of which the last two alloys are composed,
although very difficult to use in combination with any other metal,
readily unite in any proportions with silver; and it has been found
that such alloys are not so easily tarnished as the ordinary ones, or
even as fine silver itself. These various alloys serve to effect the
several purposes for which they are employed in manufactures; wires
prepared from any of them will supply the place of silver, as brooch
tongs, stems for pins, catches and joints, &c. for articles of common
quality and cheap workmanship. They are also employed for preparing the
ground for "electro-plate," for which they are very serviceable. When,
however, these alloys are employed by the regular silversmith, care
should be taken not to get the scraps of metal in any way mixed with
those of the better material, otherwise difficulties will soon begin to
present themselves, which will materially interfere with the regular
and proper working of the best silver alloys; and in fact, with all
qualities that have originally been prepared free from nickel. Those
prepared from nickel are much more infusible than those made without
it; consequently, if a piece of the nickel alloy, either by accident
or design, gets intermixed with the other quality, in a subsequent
melting, it will be found to float upon the surface of the molten
metal for some considerable time, and thus retard the process. Alloys
prepared in imitation of silver are harder and much more difficult to
work than those of the true metal; therefore it can easily be imagined
what alteration the latter undergo upon the addition of some of the
former compounds. The hardness and toughness which these alloys possess
admirably adapt them for such purposes as we have described.