Re: hmm he may be a jerk.

 And as I said before, the CS I made from four 9 volt batteries a few years ago is still saturated in the water making it a purple gray, none of it on the bottom.

http://tuberose.com/Colloidal_Silver.html

Constant Voltage vs. Constant Current Generators

Constant voltage generators operate as follows.

When an electrical source of voltage that is fixed in value such as 27 or 36 volts (the voltage supplied by 3 or 4 - 9 volt batteries in series connection) is used to generate colloidal silver, the voltage is connected to the silver electrodes which are in the water.  A small amount of current then begins to flow.  At this point the current is generally about one quarter of one milliampere (a milliampere is a measure of current flow).  This allows some of the silver ions to be released from one electrode while hydrogen gas is formed and released from the other electrode.   As the silver is released into the water, the conductivity of the water increases; allowing more current to flow.  This in turn allows more silver ions to be sintered off the electrode.  But what happens very quickly is this:

The increased current flow allows the metal to be deposited into the water at a faster and faster rate as the conductivity of the water is increased by more silver being released.  This is a vicious cycle because in a very few minutes the current passes the point where small colloidal particles are generated.  Particle size is determined by many factors; one of them being current flow or more properly current density.   Once the flow exceeds this critical point, you must stop the process or risk producing large particles.  These particles are NOT colloidal.  They will sink to the bottom of the liquid and will generally not stay in suspension. Constant voltage generators cannot be left on for long without producing large particles.

If you ingest larger particles or silver salts in liquid such as silver nitrate you take the chance of acquiring a condition known as argyria. On the other hand, colloidal silver particles are so small they do not cause this condition.   They are continually being excreted in your bodily waste.  There has never been a case in which argyria has been attributed to ingestion of colloidal silver.

Constant Current Generators work as follows:

The voltage source may be the same or higher as constant voltage generators at the beginning of the operation but the similarity between constant voltage and constant current generators diverges rapidly.  As the current flow begins to increase with increased water conductivity, the "constant current" regulator begins to reduce the voltage in order to keep the current at the desired amount of flow.  With the voltage being reduced in order to keep the current constant, the silver particle size remains uniform.  As the water becomes very conductive, the voltage may be reduced to as little as 5 or 6 volts to maintain the desired current flow.  With this type circuit, one may leave the generator connected to the electrodes and not worry that "runaway" will occur.  You may leave the generator on until the strength of silver in parts per million is reached and be assured the particle sizes are uniform and colloidal. This is the secret of repeatable production of colloidal silver.

Constant current equals constant size particles.  Any concentrations higher than 50 ppm require the additions of stabilizers in order to prevent fallout.   However, colloidal silver made over 15 PPM will usually agglomerate so it is recommended that you do not make it over that strength.  An automatic generator with a stirring motor can make up to 20 PPM without agglomeration.

If the particles are as small as can be made and also colloidal, the water will be clear and will also show the Tyndall effect.  If they are larger, the water color will shift toward yellow because of agglomeration.  Still larger particles appear red; then green and the blue ones are the largest.   The proper color for colloidal silver water is clear.  If it is clear and has a weak Tyndall effect, the particle size is as small as can be made.   That is the best way to know you have colloidal silver water.  Make it yourself and then you will know and see what we mean!  The proof is in the clear color and the Tyndall effect.  Of course you can also test it using a meter to determine the total PPM.

With an automatic generator, you just set the dial to the PPM (parts per million) desired and wait until the unit shuts off and you will have the best colloidal silver that can possibly be made.  It will always be crystal clear and have a weak Tyndall effect.

With a constant current generator, you can leave the unit on as long as you want (within limits) and the PPM of the silver continues to increase without any increase in silver particle size.  You can produce about 3.5 PPM per hour in a 1 pint (16 ounce) vessel.  Double the time and you double the strength, etc.  If you produce colloidal silver under about 10-12 PPM, it will be clear because the particle size is as small as can be produced and reflects no color.  Over 12-15 PPM the CS will usually become pale yellow colored over a 24 hour period.   The reason for this time lag in color change is the particles are becoming more evenly dispersed in the solution and at the same time some of them are agglomerating.   There would be less agglomeration if the water had been stirred during production.  They rearrange themselves to maintain the same distance from each other by virtue of their electrical charge.  Remember, "likes" repel each other.   Once the particles are completely and evenly dispersed, the color will be seen.  These particles reflect yellow light while clear colloidal silver will not reflect light because the particles are so small.  The yellow color comes from the fact that higher PPM colloidal silver allows some of the particles to agglomerate together to form a slightly larger particle, allowing yellow light to be reflected while absorbing all other colors.  Agglomeration means some of the silver atoms are starting to share electron rings.