Hi Sam,
The super pickle I have used is mixed very unscientifically by
adding a “bit” of hydrogen peroxide to my regular pickle solution.
(In my case, regular pickle is pH minus for swimming pools, sodium
bisulphate, I think, without going down to check.) I use it
warm/hot, specifically FOR the purpose of dissolving copper! If you
ever make the error of dropping some iron into your pickle solution
(although it’s rare, a pinstem is my usual culprit), you will copper
plate all the silver pickling in the solution. This super pickle
does a super job of dissolving this copper plating without bothering
the silver in any way. In an unintended experiment, I dropped a
piece made of silver and copper into cold super pickle, planning to
texture and etch the copper. (Yes, I know of other ways to do this,
such as ferric chloride). I forgot it when I closed up shop. When I
returned 1-2 days later, there was no copper left on the piece, the
silver was completely intact, and the pickle was a lovely shade of
opaque blue. Although I have not tried this with sparex, they are
sufficiently similar that it seems to me that some other contaminant
was at work in your pickle. It should NOT dissolve or damage silver,
or cause any filings of any kind. It WILL dissolve copper, and the
copper ions WILL turn your pickle blue. To neutralize, I would
personally dilute the heck out of it (you could add some to a pail
of cold water - always add acid to water, not the reverse), and add
baking soda bit by bit until it stops foaming. It’s sink safe at
that point. As already mentioned here, the peroxide will decompose
into water pretty quickly, even faster if heated, but the strong
pickle (acid) remains a problem, and I think it’s wise to neutralize
it. As for the copper ions (heavy metals), it’s nasty for the water
supply, but without setting up a lab, I don’t know any way to
recover the copper/clean up the water.
As for the sink - enamel paint, and a good bottle of wine to toast
the occassion? : ) Good luck!!
Lisa W