Preparation of Ag Nano-Powder from Aqueous Silver Solution through Reductive Precipitation Method

As one of the hydrometallurgical processes available in the recycling of silver-bearing wastes, the preparation of Ag nano-powder was investigated by a reductive precipitation reaction in silver solution using sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate and ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. Silver solution was prepared by dissolving silver nitrate with distilled water, and Tamol NN8906, PVP, SDS and caprylic acid were also used respectively as the dispersant to avoid the agglomeration of particles during the reductive reaction. Ag particles obtained from the reduction reaction from silver solution were characterized using the particle size analyzer and TEM to determine the particle size distribution and morphology. It was found that about $40\%$ excess of sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate was required to reduce completely silver ions in the solution. It alto appeared that the particle size generated with sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate was much greater than that with ascorbic acid. As far as the effect of dispersant on the Ag particles was concerned, the particle size distribution showed typically bimodal distribution in case of Tamol/FVP while very broad distribution ranged from 0.01 to $100{\mu}m$ appeared in case of SDS/caprylic acid.

환원침전법을 이용한 수용액으로부터 은 나노분말의 제조 연구

국내 은 함유 폐자원의 고부가가치 제품화를 위한 연구의 일환으로써 sodium formaldehydesulfoxy와 ascorbic acid를 각각 환원제로 사용한 Ag 나노분발의 제조실험을 수행하였다. Ag수용액은 질산은을 소정 농도로 증류수에 용해시켜 사용하였으며, Ag미립자의 응집방지를 위한 분산제로는 Tamol NN8906, PVP, SDS 및 caprylic acid를 각각 사용하었다. 환원반응을 통하여 제조한 Ag 미립자는 입도분석기 및 TEM측정을 통하여 morphology와 평균입도를 측정하였다. sodium formaldehydesulfoxylate 에 의한 은의 환원을 위해서는 이론치의 1.4배를 첨가해 주어야 하는 것으로 나타났으며, ascorbic acid와는 달리 생성된 Ag 입자가 너무 크게 성장하는 문제점이 있었다. 분산제에 따른 Ag 입자의 특성을 살펴본 결과, Tamol 및 PVP를 사용한 경우에는 bimodal distribution을 보였으나, SDS 와 caprylic acid의 경우에는 수십 nm에서 $100{\mu}m$에 이르는 매우 broad한 입도분포를 보였다.