I had some questions about granulating. I have been granulating with
18KTy but came across some of my Ronda Coryell videos where she uses
argentium. I use sterlium plus for my silver granulation and love it.
I find it easier to granulate than the 18KTy but still get products
done in the 18KTy.
My first question is this: i read that some people prefer
granulating with 22KTy instead of 18KTy. Is the 22KTy supposed to be
as easy to granulate as the sterlium plus?
When I granulate with the 18KTy I just typically squirt some
cupronil on the item then fuse. Do I have to use the special "glue"
for either the sterlium plus or the 18KTy process?
I have to look up my old “glue” recipe but I recall using a honey
water mixture. Has something changed?
I use any carbon based glue, including mucus (yes, nose drippings)
cow gum, school glue - in fact almost anything including superglue.
The purpose of the glue is twofold. First to hold the granules in
place and second to combine with the oxides of copper to leave a
pure copper micro-coating on the granules and the object.
The copper salts I use are copper sulphate, copper nitrate or even
"blue" acid from the pickle pot.
There is a series of reactions.
The copper sulfate is reduced by the heat to copper oxide, the
"glue" is reduced by the heat to carbon, the copper oxide is reduced
by the carbon from the glue to copper.
Then the copper combines with the metal to form molecule thin coat
of a lower melting point metal (solder.) This alloy attaches the
granules to the base and then diffuses through the two - so much so
that it almost “disappears.”
I’ll repeat that you can use almost any copper salt or oxide and any
carbon based glue.
I use any carbon based glue, including.......almost anything
including superglue.
Is superglue carbon-based? I thought it wasn’t. For granulation, I
always thought any ORGANIC glue was good (because they turn to
carbon when heated) and that superglue was not organic (?)…
Janet in Jerusalem
PS Welcome back Tony! Sounds like you underwent quite an ordeal.
Wishing you a full recovery!
I'll repeat that you can use almost any copper salt or oxide and
any carbon based glue.
One can add that functional differences would be that some “glue” or
salts may boil or foam up on heating, more than others, sometimes
floating or displacing granules. Experience quickly teaches which
work easily and which are more difficult, but almost anything can be
made to work.
Is superglue carbon-based? I thought it wasn't. For granulation, I
always thought any ORGANIC glue was good (because they turn to
carbon when heated) and that superglue was not organic (?).....
Superglues (cyanoacrylates) do contain carbon, so are technically
organic compounds. However, in common usage the word “organic” has
become pretty much meaningless. Also, the fact that a compound
contains carbon doesn’t mean that nothing will be left after heating.
Superglue, or cyanoacrylate is indeed a carbon based molecule. For
example, Methyl-2-cyanoacrylate has the chemical formula
CH2=C(CN)COOCH3.
Cyanoacrylate a with longer carbon backbones are considered safer
than the shorter ones, and it’s generally 2-octyl cyanoacrylate that
is used fur suturing.
I wouldn’t personally be wanting to heat superglue, unless you have
a very good extraction system; the fumes are not pleasant and will
irritate mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and throat.
