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First, coat a sheet of paper with egg whites containing some dissolved salt, and allow it to dry. Now dissolve some silver in nitric acid, which will oxidize th
by beambot 13y ago
First, coat a sheet of paper with egg whites containing some dissolved salt, and allow it to dry. Now dissolve some silver in nitric acid, which will oxidize the metal to soluble silver nitrate, and spread the solution over your prepared paper.
OK, scavenge a silver spoon. But now how do I get nitric acid? Google: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Nitric-acid-The-Complete-Guide/ http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Nitric-acid-The-Complet... Yeah, that wasn't intuitive at all.
Sodium thiosulfate is the fixing agent still used today and is relatively easy to prepare. Bubble sulfur gas through a solution of soda or caustic soda
Where do I get gaseous sulfer? How do I make caustic soda?
Setting aside the choice of photography as a "critical development" (vs metallurgy and the like)... this guide needs to be a lot more comprehensive if a layperson is expected to use it. I mean... I'm a decently-smart guy (PhD in electronics/robotics). I could build decent electrical circuits (generators, point-contact radios, basic batteries) from scavenged bulk materials, but I'm already lost in this chemistry. :-/
- jws 13y agoThe photography chapter is from the middle of the book. It reads like the required components were already covered in earlier chapters. Edit: chapter 5 covers making sulfuric acid and then describes making nitric acid. It doesn't go into detail other than reacting sulfuric acid with saltpeter.
- anigbrowl 13y agoI assumed that stuff was covered elsewhere in the book. I sure hope it came with safety protocols, as well details on how to make yourself some acid-proof gauntlets and why you should work in a ventilated space. But this is really more of a 'yay science' book.
- Istof 13y agomaybe they don't want to show you how to make nitric acid because you could use it to make bombs... I don't know about the other chemicals.