Silver nitrate is commonly used to chemically cauterize a wound for hemostasis after debridement or treatment of hypergranulation tissue.
In the Laboratory
Test for the presence of Chlorine, Bromine and Iodine ions.
For example: White=Chloride, Pale Yellow=Bromide, Yellow=Iodide.
Test for the presence of Carbonate, Hydroxide, Sulfide and Phosphate ions.
For example: Pale Green=Carbonate, Brown=Hydroxide, Black=Sulfide.
Silver Nitrate is used to test the exact salinity of Sea Water. (it's about 35 grams per Liter, by the way)
Silver Nitrate is used in Oil Fields to determine the amount of Chloride ions in water and drilling fluids.
In Manufacturing
Silver Plating electroplating Silver onto a base metal such as Nickel.
Mirrors you can Google "Tollen's Reagent" to learn all about this process.
Hair Dye.
Inks, like indelible, permanent fabric marker pens.
Explosives, like Silver Fulminate, Silver Azide and Silver Acetylide.
Pharmaceuticals.
It prevents premature shrinking or dropping of buds and blooms, in cut flowers. (2.83% solution)
It inhibits cut flowers from making ethylene, which causes them to ripen.
In Biology
A stain for proteins and nucleic acids.
A stain in scanning electron microscopy.
Detecting Calcium in tissue samples. Google "Von Kossa's Silver Nitrate" for more information.
To kill "Silvery Thread Moss" on golf greens Use 8 grams Silver Nitrate per Gallon of Distilled Water, spray on moss.
NOTE: Be extremely careful not to get this solution on your skin, mark the bottle boldly and clearly!
In Medical History
A 1% Silver Nitrate solution was used as eye drops to prevent eye disease in newborn infants of mothers with certain infectious diseases.
For example, 1% solutions are effective against gonococcal bacteria. (1-2 drops were used)
Note: The above procedure began in 1881, it's now obsolete. Today we use Erythromycin and Tetracycline
A Cauterizing Agent.
Dentists sometimes use it infused in swabs to help heal mouth ulcers.
Doctors sometimes used it to remove warts. (but I don't know the procedure)
Taken internally, however, Silver Nitrate is a poison.
Ingesting Silver Nitrate causes bad abdominal pain and gastroenteritis.
The estimated lethal dose of Silver Nitrate is 2-10 grams. (between 1/3 to 2 teaspoons)
Note that Silver Nitrate has an extrememly bitter taste, even in small concentrations.
Toughened Silver Nitrate is molded Silver Nitrate, hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride, called "Caustic Pencils" or "Lunar Caustic".
Silver Nitrate tends to be very toxic to bacteria and other lower life forms.
In Photography
Very high purity Silver Nitrate is the starting material for all chemical based photography.
It's not the Silver Nitrate that is light sensitive, it's the Silver Halides that matter.
Film contains a carefully formulated coating of Silver Chloride, Silver Bromide and Silver Iodide.
The particles are ground to extremely fine particles, then mixed with a gelatin.
The gelatin is then rolled onto a clear acetate backing (the film base).
This process, in it's entirety, is performed in complete darkness.
In Ceramics
Silver Nitrate is used when firing pottery in a kiln to make beautiful colors. (Raku Glazes)
For example: 1 gram Silver Nitrate in 50 grams Distilled Water makes a 'Silver Wash' for pottery.
Cautions Silver Nitrate and your skin
Do not contact your skin with Silver Nitrate solutions.
If you do, the moment you go into sunlight, the exposed skin will turn black.
This unsightly, but generally harmless color will last for about 10 days.
There is no way to get it off, once it has turned black
