how to turn glass into a mirror

Chemistry and homework help forum.

Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physical Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry, High School Chemistry, Colledge Chemistry and University Chemistry Forum.

Share your chemistry ideas, discuss chemical problems, ask for help with scientific chemistry questions, inspire others by your chemistry vision!

Please feel free to start a scientific chemistry discussion here!

Discuss chemistry homework problems with experts!

Ask for help with chemical questions and help others with your chemistry knowledge!

Moderators: Xen, expert, ChenBeier

Post Reply
lovicodo
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 4:14 pm

how to turn glass into a mirror

Post by lovicodo »

Hello,
i have some questions about glass silvering;
i found this procedure:
1) make a solution (A) with 1.4 gr silver nitrate + 17gr water
then, add to the solution 1.2gr of ammonia 26% solution

2) make a solution (B) with 9.2 gr potassium bitartrate + 4gr sodium carbonate + 17gr water

3) make a solution (C) made of 5gr (A) + 5gr (B) + 100gr water

4) put a very clean glass sheet (*) in solution (C) , and leave it in the solution until the glass silvering is done.

(*) the glass must be very clean before silvering :
to clean it, wash it with a 6% tin chloride solution,
then rinse it with hot water.

The author claims that with this procedure is possible to silver also plastic with very smooth surfaces.

The questions are:

1) Do you think that this procedure can really work also for plastics?

2) How can i make the plastic surface clean (and smooth)?
do you think that the 6% tin chloride solution is suitable also for plastics, or does need another cleaner?

I am interested in plastics such as PLA,ABS,PETG; i have read somewhere that PETG is more suitable than the others...

P.S: this is my first post in this forum,
i am sorry if i have posted the question in a wrong forum section, in this case i ask to moderator to move it in the right place...

Thank you!
Lodovico
User avatar
ChenBeier
Distinguished Member
Distinguished Member
Posts: 1542
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:25 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Post by ChenBeier »

The Experiment stays above the theory. Try it and you see it will work or not. Cleaning with alcohol before. Sometimes its necessary to roughn the surface. Alkaline permanganate solution for example.
lovicodo
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 4:14 pm

Post by lovicodo »

yes it is needed to sensitize the plastic
i read in other place that the tin chloride solution (after cleaning with alcool) has function of 'sensitizer'
somewhere i found that the object must be plunged in a concentrated (5%) tin solution for about 30sec, in others i found it must be kept immersed for 30minutes in a very less concentrated (0.003M) solution...
by the way...do you know how to make a stannous chloride solution?
thanks!
User avatar
ChenBeier
Distinguished Member
Distinguished Member
Posts: 1542
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:25 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Post by ChenBeier »

You dissolve tin-II-chloride SnCl2 in water, add approx 5 ml/l hydrochloric acid 37%w.w, other wise you get precipitation of tinoxide.
Williama
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 9:23 am

Post by Williama »

lovicodo wrote:yes it is needed to sensitize the plastic
i read in other place that the tin chloride solution (after cleaning with alcool) has function of 'sensitizer'
somewhere i found the sizegenetics that the object must be plunged in a concentrated (5%) tin solution for about 30sec, in others i found it must be kept immersed for 30minutes in a very less concentrated (0.003M) solution...
by the way...do you know how to make a stannous chloride solution?
thanks!
Damn you're a smart guy.
Post Reply