J.IIC-CG VOLUME 16 (1991)
Evaluation of Silver-Cleaning Products
Twenty-four commercially available polishes and chemical dips for cleaning silver were evaluated. The major non-volatile components in the polishes were determined using several analytical techniques. The amount of silver removed by these products, after controlled use on silver-plated test pieces, was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The degree of scratching after polishing was recorded at a magnification of 140x using a metallograph. Retarnishing was evaluated after exposing the cleaned test pieces to a tarnishing atmosphere of either ammonium sulphide for one hour or indoor air for five months. Thirteen of the original silver-cleaning products were further evaluated by cleaning tarnished sterling-silver flatware by hand. A simple test using Plexiglas® has been devised and is recommended for checking the abrasiveness of a commercial silver polish.
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