Build your own Colloidal Silver Generator
Many are curious as to how to make their own colloidal silver.
The simplest setup, used by many, is shown in the photo below.
The basic setup uses 3 9-volt batteries connected "in series", meaning they are daisy-chained one after another, to produce about 27 volts. Current flow can become excessive as the "conductivity" inside of the C.S. generator increases, however, so adding a 28 volt, 40mA rated incandescent bulb "in series" is also recommended at this operating voltage, to limit the maximum possible current flow through the system to ~40mA (milli-Amps, or thousandths of an amp.) The 8 ounce glass jar shown here has a plastic cover, with 2 holes drilled 1/2" apart, so the two "electrodes" can extend through, and be held in position parallel to each other inside. The electrodes extend to within 1/4" of the bottom of the jar; in the setup shown , when the glass jar is filled within 1/4" of the top edge, there's about 3-1/4" of wetted length.
No housing or project box is shown in this photo; if you wish to add a housing, and an ON/OFF switch, you can do so, but you can just tape the 3 batteries together, and disconnect the 3 battery snaps when you're done to turn it off... it doesn't have to be any more complicated than that! Note that alligator clip test leads are used to connect between the parts, and a bare alligator clip is shown connecting one battery lead to one bulb lead. Radio shack should be able to provide most of the parts we'll show on this page, while Mouser Electronics supplied the bulb shown in the photo; you can read their info in the larger version of the photo.
[Note: If you don't yet have a CS generating container to use, you may want to consider using these layout measurements. Later, when we talk about using a digital multi-meter to monitor the current flowing through the system, if you are using electrodes laid out exactly the same as this, we'll give you numbers to get the same results every time (-a known product measured in Parts Per Million of Colloidal Silver.) Sources for the TDS1 meter and inexpensive digital multi-meters will also be listed in the "SOURCES" section.]
With this setup, you may need to stop and test the CS concentration to know how much you've got; some people say, "run for so many minutes from the time you see bubbles starting to rise from the electrodes", and on a shoestring budget, this will work.
What I'm working toward, however, on this web page, is an "evolution of design", if you will, which you can assemble yourself, and which will allow you to produce quality CS in your own home. I'll offer a method going along with it to monitor the progress of the process, to know when to stop your generator to have the same concentration of CS in your final product every time.
Possible Shortcomings Of The 'Basic" Setup While you can make a usable batch of Colloidal Silver using the basic setup shown above, there are a few details that you might wish to improve upon:
[ 1 ] Because of the increasing current limiting by the bulb as the current flowing through the generator increases towards it's 'incandescent' state, you can't monitor current flow itself through the entire system to precisely indicate the conductivity and thereby the CS concentration. ( M. G. Devour talks of monitoring the decreasing voltage across the two electrodes themselves, to have an idea where he's at in the process. I'll describe and explain a different approach.)
[ 2 ] When using a 'constant current DC supply' as is provided with the three battery setup shown above, many report problems late in the generating process when silver "sludge" (which normally forms on the negatively charged electrode) can bridge between the two electrodes, shorting out the generator.
[ 3 ] There is more and more speculation now that high currents may not produce as small a CS particles as a lower current operation. Further testing will give us more information on this subject. (We want small CS particles.) We have also observed that Hydrogen gas evolution at the negatively charged electrode, and Oxygen gas evolution at the positively charged electrode, can become rapid enough to redisperse silver 'sludge' back into the water when current becomes excessive for a given amount of electrode surface area. The result is a "cloudy" batch of CS, which we most likely would wish to avoid, as some of this redispersed sludge particles are too fine to remove with the normally used coffee filters.
The Design Approach:
Going Beyond These Possible Shortcomings.
[ 1 ] Use a lower applied voltage, where the current limiting of the incandescent bulb isn't needed. Use a 'starter batch' from a previous batch to increase initial conductivity, and speed up the process, as explained in "Understanding Colloidal Silver Generation", if you're having a "Right Now Attack".
[ 2 ] Rather than a constant current, why not interupt the current repeatedly / often? The observed result is that there is no tendancy for bridging of the silver "sludge" between electrode even at only 1/2" apart. (Note that, the closer the two electrodes are together, the lower the resistance of the water / CS solution between them.)
[ 3 ] Current Levels are directly related to applied voltage levels for a given electrode geometry; by working with a PULSED DC Supply, at from 12 to 18 volts maximum, current flows are not excessive, and do not need to be limited. More on this later.
Simple Design; No Soldering Required! Providing a high enough frequency pulsed DC supply for our CS Generator isn't that complicated. Here's an example of a working model I put together in a few minutes, using an "Experimenter's Socket" and a few components, all available from Radio Shack. Note that this circuit is being powered by 2 9-volt rechargable batteries in this photo.
The core of the circuit is the versatile 555 timer IC, an 8 pin DIP IC that's widely available.
The 'Experimenter's Socket" has rows of holes radiating out from each IC pin, giving 5 contact holes in each row that are internally connected together. You insert the IC into the center of the socket board, straddleing the gap in the center, then insert components one by one, until all parts are in place. This circuit also requires 3 "jumper wires", shown in red, blue, and black. These each connect points in the circuit that need to be connected together.
Below the Experimenter's Socket is shown a Radio Shack printed circuit board to match the Socket's layout, for those who want to solder together a permanent version of the circuit. Note that 18 volts is the maximum that the 555 IC will tolerate, which is plenty for generating Colloidal Silver.
PULSED DC SUPPLY PARTS LIST 1----- Experimenter's Socket (available in various sizes) 1----- 555 or 7555 Timer IC, 8 pin DIP package; (note that the 7555 is the CMOS version, and is static sensitive.) 1----- High Efficiency T1 size LED (green or red, your choice) for the 'Pulsed Output Active' indicator 2----- .01 uF (micro-Farrad) ceramic disc capacitors 1----- 4.7K 1/4W 5% resistor (LED current limiter resistor) 1----- 3.3K 1/4W 5% resistor 1----- 1.0K 1/4W 5% resistor 1----- 75 ohm 1/4W 5% resistor 2 ----- 9 volt battery snaps 5----- Insulated Jumper wires - single solid conductor strand, ~ 22guage ; 5 pieces 1-1/2" long is plenty for the 5 required jumpers, as shown in the photos. Strip 5/16" from each end of each jumper. Note also that two of these wires with 'S' shaped bends are shown in the photo; These are the two outputs. The red wire goes to the silver 'anode', through the meter if you use one, while the black is where the lead to the 'cathode' connects. If you only have one color of insulated wire to work with, be careful! {GRIN} 3----- Alligator Clip Test Leads, used as shown in the photos.
NOTE: Optional but highly Recommended: a meter capable of reading 20mA DC current; any small meter can do this. An inexpensive (under $20.00) meter is shown in these photos.
Note: if you can't get a 'high efficiency LED as called for and end up using a standard T1-3/4 size LED, then use a 680 ohm resistor in place of the 4.7K resistor that's used normally with the T1 'high efficiency' LED; otherwise, the larger LED won't glow at all! {GRIN} Also, if you do not have a CS generator container yet, I'd suggest: 1----- 8 ounce glass jar, and plastic cover as shown in the photos 2----- pieces .999 fine silver wire, 3-3/4" length minimum (or strip/sheet, etc.) Note: only one electrode, the positively charged one, actually produces silver ions; the second negatively charged one donates only electrons to the process, and can be made of a good grade of stainless steel. I personally use one 14 guage (1/16" diameter) silver electrode for the 'ANODE', and one 1/8" diameter stainless steel electrode for the 'CATHODE'. Just remember to hook the positive output to the silver anode, and the negative wire to the stainless steel cathode. In the photos, you'll see red tape marking the anode, and black tape marking the cathode, to avoid any mixup.
HERE'S THE CIRCUIT DIAGRAM (Click on small image for the larger version; use your 'Back' button to return)) Here's a bit closer look at the 'Experimenter's Socket' "Pin 1" on the 555 IC is marked with a dot on top, and is to the lower left in these photos. Pins are numbered in a counter-clockwise manner from there- 1 thru 4 on the lower side, and again 5 thru 8 from right to left on the upper side. When I speak of 'ROWS', I'm referring to the set of 4 more holes radiating out from each IC pin; with the IC in place, there's 4 holes in each row that are internally connected to each pin. When you insert a component lead into a hole in the same row as an IC pin, they are connected.
STEP-BY- STEP ASSEMBLY (Refer to the photos; print these instructions if you wish for convenience.) [1]-- Insert IC in Experimenter's Socket. (Hint: we'll be using three other rows of contacts, other than the 8 rows which the IC pins use.) [2]-- Insert 1st jumper : from IC pin 4's row to IC pin 8's row, in the next hole out in each row, right next to the IC pins.
(red in photo) [3]-- Insert 2nd jumper: from IC pin 2's row to IC pin 6's row (light blue in photo) [4]-- Insert 3rd jumper: from IC pin 1's row to the inner hole in the unused row next to IC pin 5 (black wire in photo) Trim leads shorter on components if desired; leave 3/8" minimum length to insert into each hole; shape leads as needed.
[5]-- Insert a .01uF ceramic disc capacitor: one lead in IC pin 5's row, the other lead in the (3rd / black) jumper's row just next to pin 5's row.
[6A]-- Insert the second .01uF ceramic disc capacitor; one lead goes in IC pin 6's row, second hole next to the IC pin; the other into (3rd hole in the row) in the 3rd / black jumper's row, the same row where you just put the other capacitor's second lead.
[6B]-- Insert another jumper: one end into the 4th hole in the same row with the end of the (3rd/black) jumper and the two capacitors' leads. This is the Black "S' shaped lead in the photo, and will serve for a ground connection point for the alligator clip test lead going to the CS generator's 'cathode' electrode.
[7]-- Battery leads: decide which power option you're useing. If you're using the '2 nine volt battery' setup, [7A]-- Take the red lead from one battery snap and the black lead from another battery snap, and twist the wires together very tightly. Insulate this joint with tape, etc. (Note: if you're working with another supply follow on:) [7B]-- Take the free RED wire end, (or your positive supply wire from a different battery / transformer supply) and insert it into the 3rd hole in IC pin 8's row .
[7C]-- Insert the Black remaining battery snap lead (or your negative supply wire from a different battery / transforemer supply) into the 3rd hole in IC pin 1's row.
[8]-- 3.3K resistor (orange, orange, red, gold) : Bend one lead 180 degrees = back next to the body, and cut both to ~1/2" off the resistor body end, so they will both insert an equal depth.
These leads then insert into IC pin rows 6 and 7 (use the third hole in each row), with the resistor body standing upright.
[9]-- 1K resistor (brown, black, red, gold) bend one lead back next to the resistor body, same as the last one, and trim to length. Insert leads into holes in IC pin rows 7 and 8, using the 4th hole in each row, with this resistor body also standing upright. (Note that a value of 680 ohms is shown on the circuit diagram for this resistor; the 1K works well, bringing the 'duty cycle' closer to 50%, i.e., about 56%) [10A]-- 75 ohm resistor (violet, green, black, gold): holding the resistor body horizontal, bend each lead 90 degrees down and cut each off 1/2" from the resistor body. Insert one lead into IC pin 3's row, 3rd hole ; the other end goes into an un-occupied row to the right; I used the 3rd row away from IC pin 4's row, because that's where the lead naturally lined up.
[10B]-- Add one end of the last jumper wire into another hole in the same row as the second lead of the 75 ohm resistor you just installed. The free end of this jumper wire (the red 'S' shaped wire in my photos) will be the attachment point for the positive pulsed output going to the silver anode electrode on the CS generator container.
(Note: If you use the meter to monitor the current as recommended, then an alligator lead will run from the bare end of this (red S shaped) jumper to the red lead on the meter; another jumper (yellow in my photos) will run from the black meter lead tip, to the silver anode.) [11]-- 4.7K resistor (yellow, violet, red, gold) : bend both leads 90 degrees down as with the last resistor, and trim leads to 1/2" length. This resistor is to run from the 4th hole out on IC pin 3's row, to the 4th hole out in the empty row just next to IC pin 1's row.
[12]-- LED: as supplied, one lead is shorter than the other, and there'a a small flat on that same edge of the plastic housing.
This is the lead that has to go to (ground) the 5th hole in IC pin 1's row. The LED's other lead goes into the 5th hole in the row just next to IC pin one's row; in other words, in the same row as the (left) end of the 4.7K resistor.
CONGRATULATIONS! You've made it through the circuit assembly! To test it, connect your battery / batteries; the LED should glow.
A volt meter across the two output leads (the 'S' shaped jumper wires) should read roughly half of your battery supply voltage, since the output is on roughly half of the time, and the meter 'averages' what it 'sees'/ reads.
Here's the 10 cell AA battery pack hooked up Note that the green high efficiency LED is glowing, indicating that the pulsed output is active; however, with no water in the jar, the current reading is 0.00 An AC powered wall transformer is shown in the background; a 'no load' output of not over 18 volts DC is the maximum useable, should you decide to go this route. You can buy a matching coax jack from Radio Sack, or cut off the coax plug and hard-wire the connection; just be sure NOT to reverse the polarity, as it will most likely be very hard on your IC. {GRIN} Use a meter to test polarity if you decide to go this way.
A solar powered unit is certainly another possibility- especially considering the low current demands of this process; but please, keep your CS generator container out of the bright light. (An amber bug bulb in your work area is best for those who really want to experiment with avoiding light deterioration during the generating process. Photons striking silver ions are said to disrupt / strip their positive charge, according to my information, so you probably want to avoid this as much as possible for the "must effective" CS product from your generating operation.) You may decide to build the entire circuit into a project box. A piece of large heat shrink tubing will keep components in the Experimenter's Socket from being jarred loose. The other option, after you test this design and decide you like it, is to mount the components permanently into the matching printed circuit board from Radio Shack, and use the E. Socket again for another design project.
Please go to the INSTRUCTIONS for making Colloidal Silver with the Zapper LTS+ for further information on how to use your pulsed DC generator to make you Colloidal Silver.
OH, BY THE WAY... You may be wondering, "hey, If the output is used just like the output of the Zapper LTS+ to make Colloidal Silver, is the circuit I just built useable as a ZAPPER? {GRIN} Yes, what you have is a classic fixed frequency Clark Zapper circuit; it's output is a pulsed DC square wave, exactly as Hulda Clark recommends. It can be powered with from 9 to 18 volts for 'Zapping'. You need two hand pieces; two pieces of copper tubing will do; or you can get a couple of pieces of stainless steel, tube or flat plate....
Some people find the current output (when using the 75 ohm resistor between the IC's output at pin 3 and the actual output wire) a bit "hot" for their preferences. If this is your experience, you can replace the 75 ohm resistor with a larger value; the classic 'Clark Zapper' as featured in Hulda Clark's Book, "The Cure For All Diseases" uses a 1K ohm resistor in this position; something in between may suit your purposes.
Please keep in mind that this is an experimental pulsed DC frequency generator. What YOU choose to do with it is totally within YOUR control! UPDATE: Another tip: by changing the value of the timing capacitor (between pin 6 of the IC and ground) to a larger value, this device will produce a lower frequency. By using a larger value of resistor between pins 6 and 7 on the IC, you can lower the frequency. (Lower values produce higher frequencies).
For instance, if you use a .1uF capacitor, and a resistor of around 470K Ohms, it will produce a pulse rate of around 15 Hz.
By using a 390K resistor and a 100K trimmer in series between pins 6 & 7, you could fine-tune it to exactly 15 Hz, or 15.2 Hz, for example, using a precision frequency counter.
If you wanted to limit the output through a direct short to only 5 mA, you would a series resistor coming from the IC's output , at pin 3, determined in the following way: take your power supply voltage ; let's say it's 12 volts; divide it by .005 amps to get a required resistance value of 2400 Ohms, or 2.4 K Ohms.
If you tried to measure current, you'd read around 2.5mA, since the square wave output is on half of the time, and off half ot the time, while your meter 'averages' what is being input over a longer measuring period to give you the averaged value.
Much has been written about the uses of Colloidal Silver since well before 1900, in reguards to the benefits of it's use in strengthening the immune system, and it's ability to kill over 650 different pathogens within 6 minutes of contact.
A couple of definitions may be a good place to start:
The term COLLOID, as used in chemistry, is defined in the Funk & Wagnall's Standard Desk dictionary as:" A state of matter in which finely divided particles of one substance are suspended in another in such a manner that the electrical and surface properties acquire special importance."
The Colloidal Silver we are interested in generating and using consists of extremely fine particles of pure metallic silver, each with a positive charge. These are also referred to as Silver IONS, because of their charge ( the +1 monovalent ion). It is the charge on a silver ion that is said to enable it to interfere with enzyme processes of bacteria and viruses, blocking their ability to use oxygen, killing them within about 6 minutes of contact.
Depleted soil mineral levels are associated with what some believe is a dietary silver deficiency problem for most people today - a deficiency directly related to decreased immune system function by Dr. Robert O. Becker, among others. Supplemental Colloidal Silver may be beneficial in many ways, and is not (in the metallic ion form) known to be toxic in any concentration, after over 100 years of study and usage.
BACKGROUND AND REFERENCES
British Columbia's "Ambient Water Quality Criteria For Silver" gives essential background for understanding silver's effectiveness.
There are two books in my library related to these processes I'll recommend now for those interested in researching further.
On the biological effects of silver, refer to Dr. Robert O. Becker's book, "The Body Electric : Electromagnetism and the Foundation Of Life" , ISBN 0-688-06971-1 for some excellent material on this topic. (I'll try to do a review with excerpts later, when time allows.)
Moving electrons between electrodes through a fluid to produce and manipulate charged metallic particles is not a process unique to Colloidal Silver Generation. The underlying principles are extensively understood and applied in practical applications by those in the Electro-Plating Industry.
For a book covering the basic electrochemical processes involved, as applied in Electroplating, I'll refer you to C.W. Ammen's book "The Electroplater's Handbook", ISBN 0-8306-0310-7 (TAB Books #2610).
I'd like to share with you some points that are relevant to the CS generating process, gained from my work, research, and observations over the last 20+ years with various electrochemical processes, and from my experience in some related Wet Analysis chemistry applications, as well as from my work in digital and analog electronic design and production engineering applications.
If my recommendations seem contrary to the recommendations of some others on the web, please understand that the information I am offering is based on my personal background, research, application experience, observations, and experiments, and my understanding at this point of the principles involved.
[Please note:] It is not my intention in offering the following information to 'step on toes' or contradict what others have said, but rather primarily to offer my family, friends, and any others interested, access to usable practical application information.
I'll ultimately tell you how to build your own simple devices and use simple test equipment you may already have, or can easily obtain from many sources, to produce high quality colloidal silver for your own use. If you choose to buy and operate one of the commercially offered devices available from myself or others (there are many listed on the LINKS page) you will hopefully have a bit better understanding of the process involved , and the underlying principles, after reading the following material.
< 1 >You only need ONE silver electrode.
Here?s why: The positively charged colloidal silver ions are ONLY generated at the SILVER "ANODE", the one we have hooked to the POSITIVE power supply lead.
At higher current levels, some of the water is also converted to gases, with oxygen gas molecules evolving at the silver anode, and hydrogen gas molecules evolving at the negatively charged Cathode. While some others elsewhere on the Web have spoken of the possibility of oxidation of silver ions at the anode by this oxygen, such is not known to occur in electroplating operations. The Anode surface itself is what appears to oxidize, as evidenced by it's turning dark during the CS generating process. (We're continuing to research this aspect, and will report the findings here later.)
Here's a subject for further thought and research: In an AC powered operation as some others are promoting, where the polarity is constantly switched, other undesirable things may happen; it is known that in all electro-colloidal silver generating processes, some charge stripping of silver ions does occur as they come in contact with the cathode, resulting in their gaining electrons, and the resulting reduction to atomic silver particles (without the charge that is said to produce the pathogen disabling effect.) In a DC system, these reduced metallic particles remain as a grayish 'sludge' buildup on the surface of the cathode, and eventually are very visible at higher current levels. In a system where the polarity is switched constantly, this sludge is propelled and dispersed back into the water continuously, as evidenced by the 'clean electrodes' spoken of.
Mechanical effects of redispersal of plated out silver "sludge" from the cathode will occur at higher concentrations and especially at higher currents, especially if AC is used, resulting in much coarser, uncharged metallic silver particles than may be desired floating about in your product. Filtering with good lab quality filter media may be able to remove some of this "non-ionic" silver; settling of most of the really larger particle "clumps" might also occur within 72 hours, I'd estimate, if the particles are not too fine. I guess the question is this; are the positively charged colloidal silver ions, (as produced in a DC process), what you want in your product, or do you want non-charged 'non-ionic' metallic silver particles, as produced in the AC processes? From what I have researched and what I understand at this time, I'd stay with Dr. Becker's recommendations myself, and try to produce the positively charged Colloidal Silver Ions with a DC process.
[To summarize this for the technically inclined] please consider carefully that, just as positively charged silver ions are generated into the system at the anode, they are attracted to the negatively charged cathode. Many stay in the colloidal suspension, but as the concentration of silver ions build up, and the current flow through the system increases, more and more silver ions are drawn to, and come in contact with the cathode. When they do this, they are stripped of their positive charge, and 'plate out' on the surface of the cathode as a visible 'sludge', but do not bond to the surface structure - they accumulate as larger groups of loosely bonded, uncharged silver particles. If what I understand Dr. Becker and others to be saying is true, these uncharged silver particles, what I refer to as the 'silver sludge' formed at the cathode, should be removed if possible from your finished product.
Using a DC power source, with no polarity reversal, is my strong recommendation (and that of many others) for predictably generating positively charged colloidal silver particles (biologically active silver ions) in your product, while controlling silver 'sludge' dispersal problems. [Note that this DC supply can be produced either from an AC source, rectified, regulated, and filtered, or from a battery supply.] Electroplaters have long known that a well rectified DC power source was required to generate and manipulate metallic ions in their processes to achieve the desired results. : [Note: The SILVER Anode is always connected to the positive supply : Just remember [SILVER : ANODE : RED : POSITIVE]
Only ELECTRONS are donated to this process by the CATHODE, which is hooked to the negative power supply, Remember: [ CATHODE : BLACK : NEGATIVE: STAINLESS STEEL or silver ]
Note that many talking about making colloidal silver may well be simply repeating what they?ve heard, telling others to use silver for both the anode and cathode, which can be done, but is not actually necessary. The silver anode, when hooked up to the Positive supply, will be slowly "eaten away" in this process, as it donates positively charged pure silver ions into the water. A stainless steel cathode can be used in DC generating processes, which is less expensive, and should last a lifetime if you don?t get carried away while cleaning it! Stainless steel of the alloy I use is chemically inert, and when Negatively Charged, donates only ELECTRONS to the process, and evolves some negatively charged hydrogen gas at it's surface at higher current levels . In a pure distilled water process, silver will not replate onto a silver cathode to reduce the 'silver sludge' accumulation, according to my test results.
Others on the web have commented that as the concentration of colloidal silver increases (in a constant current DC generating system), they have observed a 'growth of silver crystals between the two electrodes, shorting out the generating process'. I have tested using a higher frequency pulsed DC, between 20KHz and 30KHz, in generating my colloidal silver, rather than a constant current, and do not see this type of activity between electrodes spaced 1/2" apart. (Much lower frequencies would also be effective.) Stirring during the generating operation does not seem to be necessary when using the pulsed DC approach. It may also have added benifits in keeping the silver particle size small.
< 2 > You don?t need 27 to 36 volts to make Colloidal Silver : (Good things come to those who wait.)
In electro-plating, As little as 2 volts will move positively charged silver ions off the silver anode into a conductive plating bath solution, and other silver ions out of the solution to plate out at the Cathode. Using as much as 4 volts will produce a coarse, grainy texture, rather than a smooth, bright plated surface as would be desired. My thought that arises from this observation is this: Limiting CURRENT (for a given electrode configuration) may also be necessary to produce the desired fine particle sizes in colloidal silver generation. Too high of a current flow may possibly result in coarser silver particle production. Many others also emphasize the need to regulate current for this purpose.
In CS generating applications, pure distilled water has a very low conductivity to start; applying a higher VOLTAGE (= higher electron pressure is one way to think of it) helps get more CURRENT (= quantity of electrons) flowing through the silver generator system. The current flow through the system is what produces the colloidal silver. Please understand that no matter how high or low the applied voltage is, it's the actual CURRENT FLOW through the system that relates to the actual number of electrons moving through the system. See the Colloidal Silver Technical Discussions page for a further explanation if this seems unclear.
A single 9 volt battery will cause some current to flow through pure distilled water, but only at a very low rate; and it?s probably not necessary to be that patient! 12 volts applied to a CS generating system shows an increase in initial current, and hence gets the visible signs of the process going sooner. 15 volts works very nicely in my experience, and since the internal circuitry of the ZAPPER LTS+ and HFA, (or the 555 timer IC based pulsed CS generator I've shown you how to assemble ) has a maximum allowable operating voltage limit of 18 volts, the 15 volt external battery pack was settled on as a good compromise for most people's personal needs; It does the same job in a reasonable amount of time. Many others are using 27 to 30 volts, then using further means (the 40mA bulb in series) to limit the maximum current in the system to about 40mA once the conductivity has built up. This also works, as many will attest (although 40 mA may be more than what you want to use with small silver electrodes).
Starting with pure distilled water is critical to a quality finished product, whatever the approach.
If you're looking to generate large quantities for sale, etc., then a larger production system is in order. The same underlying principles still apply; however greater surface area of your electrodes would be very desirable. For now, we'll concentrate on the 'personal use' scale of production in this article. Making 8 (to 16) ounces at a time as you need it is most likely the best approach for personal and family use purposes.
For portable, go anywhere operation, using 10 AA size Alkaline batteries is an economical alternative to the multiple 9 volt transistor battery approach, since the resulting battery capacity (in mAH) is about 4 times as great. An optional plug-in wall transformer can also be used if you want to get away from battery use; they're available for $10 or less. I have a Yamaha Keyboard power supply transformer, bought at a WAL-MART, Model PA-3B, which is labeled as "Output: DC 12V 700mA" that actually produces 15.4 volts when used to generate CS. [Test to see that the no-load DC output does not ever exceed 18 volts if it is to be used to supply the Zapper LTS+ or HFA, or the Pulsed DC CS generator, or damage to the internal IC can result. ]
Rechargable batteries are another alternative to consider, along with solar photo-voltaic panel powered recharging systems.
It doesn't matter whether your power source supplies a flow of electrons from batteries or from another AC powered regulated DC source, in terms of the finished product, so you can choose whatever suits your preferences or anticipated operating environment.
Further advantages of working with 15 to 18 volts are realized when you get into monitoring the current flow during the generating process, to determine ongoing concentration levels of CS, and knowing when to end the process for a specific PPM product. Current flow never reaches the 'excessive' level, so a direct measurement of the current flowing through the system relates to the increasing conductivity of the Colloidal Silver solution, and that correlates directly to the PPM of colloidal silver in the product. In other words, you can watch the meter reading climb during the process, and end it at a specific current reading for the same PPM product each and every time.
DON?T ADD any other chemicals to the water to speed up the process, as some have suggested! Some have suggested the use of salt or baking soda to speed up the process. Here?s why you don?t want to:
Salt, when disolved in water, ?DISSOCIATES? to produce sodium and chlorine ions in the solution. When silver ions are generated in such a solution, they rapidly combine with any chlorine ions to produce AgCl, silver chloride, which is visible as a suspended whitish cloudiness in the solution. The cloud slowly settles towards the bottom, but is too fine to be filtered out with coffee filters, no matter how many layers you use! This COMPOUND is not soluble in water, and precipitates out slowly to the bottom of the container. Silver Chloride is 300 times less effective against micro-organisms; see the B.C. water quality criteria for further information on this subject.
Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, also ?dissociates? in water to provide sodium and carbonate ions. When silver ions are generated into a solution containing carbonate ions, silver carbonate is formed, which also does not stay in solution in plain water, but also precipitates out, making it visible as a suspended white cloudiness which slowly settles to the bottom of the container.
Both of these compounds are generally referred to as silver SALTS, but because these compounds are not soluble in pure water, they are not what you want to get into your body. It's probably advisable to avoid producing them for any product that you think will ultimately be used for oral consumption! Since the positively charged silverions are 300 times as effective, it's most likely the form you want to make and use for topical application, too.
NOTE: Argyria is a cosmetic condition caused by build-ups of silver compounds (non-water soluble ones) under the skin, and was experienced by the "Blue Bloods" in earlier times who were affluent enough to be able to eat all of their meals off of pure silver tableware, plates, cups, etc., injesting the blackish silver sulfide that tarnishes the surface. Colloidal Silver is said to not be known to be toxic in any concentration, and should not produce Argyria at our levels of usage.
Here's a brief quote from Peter Lindemann's "A Closer Look At Colloidal Silver"
(Speaking of making Colloidal Silver with low voltage DC = 36 VDC or less) First, the reaction proceeds very slowly. Often, for the first 15 minutes nothing seems to be happening. Then finally, a faint yellow mist will begin to form. Within a few minutes, the reaction will speed up, but the particles produced will be a golden-yellow as viewed with a flashlight. Using this method, 8 ounces of distilled water at room temperature can be made into a 3-5 ppm colloidal silver preparation in 20-25 minutes. Made this way, colloidal silver can cost under 10?/oz to make. Electron microscope photographs of this product show a silver particle size in the range .001 to .004 microns. During manufacturing, the particle cloud is a golden-yellow. These particles will hang in the water at the level they are produced, and for the most part, will not fall to the bottom of the glass. This is what a "colloidal" preparation of silver looks like. After the particles disperse, the water will look clear again, but may turn a light yellow if the concentration is high enough and after the particles have become evenly dispersed. "The Yellow Color"
There has been a fair amount of controversy in the public literature concerning the appearance of the "yellow" color. A lot of well meaning people have told me that "yellow is bad", "silver isn't yellow", "yellow is sulfur contamination", "yellow is iron contamination", and lots of other things. I finally found what I believe to be the answer to this question in a book titled Practical Colloid Chemistry, published in London in 1926. In the section on the "Colours of Colloidal Metals", sub-section on the "Polychromism of silver solutions" on page 69, I found the following statements: "The continuous change in colour from yellow to blue corresponds to a change in the absorption maximum of the shorter to longer wave-lengths with a decreasing degree of dispersion. This is a general phenomenon in colloid chemistry illustrating the relation between colour and degree of dispersion." This section goes on to describe the colors that show up in a wide variety of colloidal metal solutions. Interestingly, they ALL have a yellow phase. For true "electro-colloidal" silver, the particle size range that can appear yellow is .01 to .001 microns (10 to 100 angstroms) because that is the size of silver particle that best absorbs the indigo light, leaving only its inverse color, yellow, to be observed. The final transparent-yellow appearance only shows up after the particles have become evenly dispersed.
Please see Peter A. Lindemann?s excellent article about A Closer Look At Colloidal Silver on the Web at
http://www.elixa.com/silver/lindmn.htm
for a further in depth discussion. It?s one of the better sources of information on this subject available to you.
HOW CAN YOU SAFELY ACCELERATE THIS PROCESS?
It's Simple: By adding the only thing you want in the end product, Colloidal silver from a previously made batch!
In the center, on the coffee cup warmer plate, is the "Started" batch mix, using 1/4th of previous batch and the remainder distilled water. On the right is the previous batch, a transparent deep golden yellow; pure distilled water is on the left for reference.
Use about 1/4 of your first batch as a "STARTER" for subsequent batches; fill the generator container up the rest of the way with pure distilled water. This gives the process a "Jump start" by increasing the conductivity dramatically, and will shorten the overall time to completion.
STORE YOUR PRODUCT OUT OF THE LIGHT
Some on the web are claiming that their 'special process' can produce a product which does not 'deteriorate' in direct sunlight. Scientists / Chemists / Physicists will tell you, however, that real electro-colloidal silver particles- charged sub-microscopic silver ions, are extremely photo-sensitive. Exposure to light, and especially to ultra-violet light, results in 'knocking the charge' off of the silver ions, rendering them far less effective against pathogens.
In relation to this, consider silver as used in the photographic film and print processes; brief exposure to light causes profound changes to the minute silver particles in the film or paper, even though the change in these silver particles is not visible to the eye until 'developed' with another chemical process to reveal the changes.... in other words, while you can't see it, it's definitely happening.
So if someone is trying to tell you of some "magical" form of silver they are producing by their 'special process' which direct sunlight can't 'deteriorate', you might want to ask for more scientific details of their testing process. Does their product actually contain the extremely fine particle size, charged silver ions we are looking to produce? Maybe what they are talking about producing isn't really the same thing as what we want to be consuming - apples & oranges, if you will. More info is needed.
PULSED DC SUPPLY PARTS LIST
1----- Experimenter's Socket (available in various sizes)
1----- 555 or 7555 Timer IC, 8 pin DIP package; (note that the 7555 is the CMOS version, and is static sensitive.)
1----- High Efficiency T1 size LED (green or red, your choice) for the 'Pulsed Output Active' indicator
2----- .01 uF (micro-Farrad) ceramic disc capacitors
1----- 4.7K 1/4W 5% resistor (LED current limiter resistor)
1----- 3.3K 1/4W 5% resistor
1----- 1.0K 1/4W 5% resistor
1----- 75 ohm 1/4W 5% resistor
2 ----- 9 volt battery snaps
5----- Insulated Jumper wires - single solid conductor strand, ~ 22guage ; 5 pieces 1-1/2" long is plenty for the 5 required jumpers, as shown in the photos. Strip 5/16" from each end of each jumper. Note also that two of these wires with 'S' shaped bends are shown in the photo; These are the two outputs. The red wire goes to the silver 'anode', through the meter if you use one, while the black is where the lead to the 'cathode' connects. If you only have one color of insulated wire to work with, be careful! {GRIN}
3----- Alligator Clip Test Leads, used as shown in the photos.
NOTE: Optional but highly Recommended: a meter capable of reading 20mA DC current; any small meter can do this. An inexpensive (under $20.00) meter is shown in these photos.
Note: if you can't get a 'high efficiency LED as called for and end up using a standard T1-3/4 size LED, then use a 680 ohm resistor in place of the 4.7K resistor that's used normally with the T1 'high efficiency' LED; otherwise, the larger LED won't glow at all! {GRIN}
Also, if you do not have a CS generator container yet, I'd suggest:
1----- 8 ounce glass jar, and plastic cover as shown in the photos
2----- pieces .999 fine silver wire, 3-3/4" length minimum (or strip/sheet, etc.) Note: only one electrode, the positively charged one, actually produces silver ions; the second negatively charged one donates only electrons to the process, and can be made of a good grade of stainless steel. I personally use one 14 guage (1/16" diameter) silver electrode for the 'ANODE', and one 1/8" diameter stainless steel electrode for the 'CATHODE'. Just remember to hook the positive output to the silver anode, and the negative wire to the stainless steel cathode. In the photos, you'll see red tape marking the anode, and black tape marking the cathode, to avoid any mixup.