« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Liver of Sulphur  (Read 544 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Terry C.

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1215
  • Gender: Male
  • I see what you did there...
Liver of Sulphur
« on: January 23, 2008, 04:00:49 PM »
I came upon this rather unappetizing concoction while I was researching patinas for brass and bronze.

Used mainly in the making of jewelry, it will darken silver, copper, brass, and bronze.

Has anyone used LoS to antique replica bronze artillery?

Liver of Sulphur
Logged

Offline Cat Whisperer

  • Trade Count: (2)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7493
  • Gender: Male
  • Pulaski Coehorn Works
Re: Liver of Sulphur
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2008, 04:52:56 PM »
sulfur + potash (potassium nitrate)

a solution containing sulfuric acid -  no wonder it darkens it!  $12 is WAY too much!

Logged
Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
Cat Whisperer
Chief of Smoke, Pulaski Coehorn Works & Winery
U.S.Army Retired
N 37.05224  W 80.78133 (front door +/- 15 feet)

Offline Terry C.

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1215
  • Gender: Male
  • I see what you did there...
Re: Liver of Sulphur
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2008, 05:27:23 PM »
I thought potash was potassium carbonate?

I have a good stock of potassium nitrate, more than I should ever need for making match. I wonder if this could be made into a darkening agent?
Logged

Offline phalanx

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2880
Re: Liver of Sulphur
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2008, 05:45:40 PM »
Terry :
But isn't Potassium Carbonate a first cousin to Potassium Nitrate ?
Around here we have a lot of Pot Ash mines
They use it in fertilizer ,gun powder ,and tons of other stuff.
After 911 ,you can not even get on one of these places now.
I don't know ,but is there a process to change one from the other ?
Is one a by product of the other ?
I know the Government hauls this stuff out of here by the train loads.
I have heard the ,,Nitrate ,,word used out there near Carlsbad N.M.
Cool topic ,lets go find out .
I may have BP in my back yard and not even know it.
Logged
In this time i Command ,That you take the Secular to Jerusalem .
There you rid the Holy City of the Scourge of Islam , Make the streets run red with the Blood of those who wish to wash Israel and Christianity from the face of the Earth.
Constantine III

Offline MikeR C

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 178
  • Gender: Male
Re: Liver of Sulphur
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2008, 05:56:46 PM »
Would you believe
 "Liver of Sulphur (Hepar Sulphuris)
Produced by heating potassium carbonates with sulphur. Not a true compound, it is a metastable mixture of potassium polysulfides and sulfate. (K2S, K2S2, K2S3, K2S4, K2S5, K2SO4)
I remember my Dad treating copper with liver of sulfur, it turned it very black. It was too long ago to remember how well it adhered or how durable it was. I do remeber it worked pretty fast and was very dark...

Thx
MikeR C
Logged

Offline MikeR C

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 178
  • Gender: Male
Re: Liver of Sulphur
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2008, 04:49:13 AM »
After looking a bit more carefully I found this:

http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/liver_of_sulfur.htm

Apparently it does not work very well on brass, and I would assume bronze as well. Looks like you would have to force dezincification on the surface prior to application for the color to take. Wouldn't be too hard with citric or phosphoric acid, but it sounds like you better wash it off pretty well or it's not going to smell to good.

Thx
MikeR C
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »