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Silver dendrites from electrodeposition

     Silver is a very easy metal to electrodeposit although the results often frustrate the professional electroplater. An acid solution of the metal will deposit dendrites on the cathode at just about any current density. At low currents a forest of tiny tightly packed dendrites will form. At higher currents large single dendrites will burst forth from the thicket at the potential peaks, consume more of the available current, and grow towards the areas of greatest positive charge. This photo shows silver being deposited at ~50 ma on a carbon cathode from a .1M silver nitrate solution.

     The growth can be rather delicate, and attempts to remove the electrode from the electrolyte tend to break off the larger structures.

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