Product Specifications

Tips for using the Sterling Silver Deox Casting Grain: Sterling Silver Deox is a proprietary deoxidized sterling silver designed to achieve maximum hardness and eliminate fire scale and porosity. Deox Sterling has been developed to have a hardness approximately equal to standard sterling silver, while still retaining the advantageous characteristics of our other sterling silver grain.

MELTING: Traditional methods of melting regular sterling silver I.E. (as cool as possible) will cause a variety of problems. Most failures with these sterling products are caused by too low of a melt temperature. Customers familiar with silicon deoxidized gold casting alloys should have less trouble adjusting to the appearance of these silvers. Solidus: 1650°F, Liquidus: 1724°F

Temperature range: 990º – 1090ºC/1814º - 1870ºF

REMELTING: We recommend a 50% fresh mix. For high quality pieces, using more fresh metal will yield superior results. It is important that casting scrap be free from investment.

FLUXING: It may be necessary to flux these silver melts. We recommend Boric Acid. Do not use Carbon Containing Fluxes or Charcoal. Skim any surface oxides off the surface before stirring.

QUENCHING: 15 – 20 minutes

INVESTMENT REMOVAL: Most standard investment removers will successfully remove the investment powder. The best solutions are the sulfuric and hydrofluoric based products.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT: Treatment processes, such as liver of sulfur, will take much longer.

SOLDERING: Soldering heat should be as low as possible to prevent low temperature eutectic nodules from forming.

Fire Scale: Fire scale is completely eliminated.

Cyanide Treatment: Not recommended.

Hardness and Heat Treatment: This silver as cast will have a hardness similar to traditional sterling silver. It can be hardened further by heat treatment at 300ºC/575ºF for one hour and air- cooled.

C:\Users\Amanda\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\O1OT3CJP\Sterling Silver Deox Grain Spec Sheet 805 spb.doc INCREASING THE HARDNESS OF CASTINGS: This alloy will be approximately the same hardness as standard Sterling Silver when the flasks are quenched after 15 or 20 minutes. Waiting until they are completely cool will result in much harder and stronger pieces. When necessary, the hardness can be increased even further by placing the castings or the whole tree in an oven set to 580°F for 45 minutes. Typical hardness of rapidly quenched pieces is about 70 DPH. Flasks cooled to room temperature can approach 110 DPH, and heat-treated castings can approach 125 DPH! (Approximately twice the hardness of standard Sterling Silver!)

DENSITY: 10.3 g/cm3

ARGENTIUM STERLING SILVER

DESCRIPTION: A new tarnish resistant Sterling Silver alloy suitable for the manufacture of a wide assortment of jewelry and giftware items.

FORM: Sheet, Round Wire, Casting Grain

WORKING CHARACTERISTICS: Stamping: Excellent Rolling: Excellent Drawing: Excellent Enameling: Excellent Spinning: Excellent Casting: Excellent

DENSITY: 5.42 ounces/in3

SOLIDUS: 1410°F (°C) LIQUIDUS: 1610°F (°C)

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: SHEET WIRE ROCKWELL ULTIMATE HARDNESS (DPH) 15T TENSILE STRENGTH (PSI) Annealed 60 39,000-45,000 ¼ Hard ½ Hard ¾ Hard Full Hard 110 Spring Hard Age Hardened 125 63,000

ANNEALING: The temperature range is 1050°F (565°C) to 1150°F (620°C) with a dwell time ranging form 30 to 60 minutes at temperature, depending on size of the furnace load.

BRAZING: Material can be torch or furnace brazed. Best results are obtained when using solders with a flow point below 1400°F - H&S H7-75 Silver Solder is recommended.

AGE HARDENING: Argentium Sterling Silver may be age hardened by annealing at 1150°F for 1 hour followed by a water quench. Then aged at 580°F for 1-2 hours.

CASTING TEMPERATURE: 950-980°C / 1740-1780°F. It may take a few attempts to become familiar with these lower temperatures. If the metal looks yellow or light orange, it is too hot.

FLASK TEMP: In most cases, use your normal flask temperature. Do not exceed 1250°F.

TUMBLE FINISHING: Successful tumble finishing has been done using rough cut with epoxy cones and triangles in a vibratory tumbler, and also by using a steel shot mixture in a rotary tumbler. It is very important to maintain clean shot and solution.

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POLISHING: To avoid contamination from other alloys in the workshop environment, it is ideal to have separate polishing wheels for use on Argentium Sterling Silver only. If this is not possible, thoroughly rake wheels before use.

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