Silver is an important metal not only in jewelry and silverware but also in electrical conductors and contacts. The knowledge of the exact silver content in fine silver and silver alloys ensures that quality standards for jewelry and silverware are met. As for the plating industry, the knowledge of the amount of silver in silver plating baths helps to run the bath efficiently.
While X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a fast alternative to determine the silver content in fine silver and silver alloys, it can only determine the silver content of the outermost sections of the metal. In contrast, titration offers a more comprehensive solution considering the whole sample, thus preventing fraud by thick plating.
This application bulletin describes the potentiometric determination of silver in fine silver and silver alloys according
to EN ISO 11427, ISO 13756, GB/T 17823, and GB/T 18996 as well as in silver plating baths by a titration with potassium bromide or potassium chloride, respectively
