Glossary of Silver Terms

Colloid

A colloid is a very small particle that is evenly dispersed throughout another substance. Colloids are measured in micrometers and range between 1 to 0.001 micrometers. A colloidal system may be liquid, solid, or gaseous.

Different types pf Colloids:

• Emulsion (re: colloid) An emulsion is a substance where pockets of one liquid are trapped within another liquid. If these pockets of trapped liquid are very small (1 to 0.001 micrometers in diameter), the emulsion is a colloidal system.
• Foam (re: colloid) A foam is substance where pockets of gas are trapped within a liquid or a solid. If these pockets of gas are very small (1 to 0.001 micrometers in diameter), the foam is a colloidal system.
• Sol (re: colloid) A sol is substance where particles of a solid material are evenly mixed within a liquid and these particles are very small (1 to 0.001 micrometers in diameter.) A sol is a colloidal system.
• Hydrocolloid A colloidal system where the colloid is evenly dispersed within water. Hydrocolloids can be a foam, emulsion, or sol, depending on whether the colloid dispersed within water is a gas, liquid, or solid.
• Hydrosol See sol (re: colloid).

Ions and pH

Ion
An Ion is simply an atom or molecule with an unequal number of electrons and protons. This means that the Ion will have a net positive or net negative charge. If the ion has more electrons than protons it will have a negative charge and is called an anion. If the ion has fewer electrons than protons it will have a positive charge and is called a cation.

Ionic silver
Ionic silver is commonly found within creams and liquids. Early film development and photography technology used ionic silver as one of the chemicals employed to process film.

pH
Is often defined as "potential hydrogen" or "power hydrogen". Ph is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance on a 14 point scale. It is a measurement focusing on the activity of the hydrogen Ions. A pH of 7 is neutral, a pH of 0 is very acidic, a ph of 14 is very basic or alkaline.

Parts Per Million

ppm is a common abbreviation to describe the amount of a dissolved mineral within water. It is typically determined by the mass of the dissolved material compared with the mass of the water. The unit ppm used to measure very small concentrations of substance. Our structured silver is only 10-15 pmm. What exactly does that mean? This ppm infographic compares 10 ppm silver water with other types of water.

The lower PPM, the more pure the liquid. 1 ppm means that for every gram of water, there is 1 millionth of a particular solid or pollutant. As you see 10 ppm is very pure!

Silver Stuff

Silver
The Latin name of Silver is Argentium. AG on the Periodic Table. It is the 47th element on the table. It has 47 electrons. Silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any element, and is used in a variety technological applicationsin jewelry, tableware, and as a monetary instrument. Silver has a density of 10.5 g/cc, a radius of 144pm, and a melting point of 961 degrees Celsius.

Colloidal silver
A colloidal system with silver evenly dispersed within a liquid, typically water. It has been created in various forms for well over 100 years. These variations result in vastly different substances that are commonly referred to under the general term "colloidal silver." In order to fully understand how specific this term can be think of it this way: An apple is a fruit. Are all fruits Apples? What specific type of apple is it? (Macintosh, Golden, gala, Granny Smith, etc.)

Similarly, "colloidal silver" is a useful term in some contexts, but it is important to make distinctions between older and newer technologies. Structured silver is a new application of silver colloids using the foundational principles of older colloidal silver forms.

Structured silver water
A unique combination of silver and water with benefits, characteristics, and a manufacturing method unlike any other silver product.

Structured water
Water in which the molecules exhibit a non-randomized alignment or ordering of molecules. A complicated topic to say the least, structured water is described by some as amazing and by others as pseudoscience.

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Silver nitrate
Silver nitrate is a common and inexpensive salt of silver. It dissolves into many solvents, including water.

Silver solution
Silver solution is a general term that broadly describes a solution containing silver. More precise terms are helpful when distinguishing silver solutions from one another, as variations in the solute and the solvent greatly affect the character of the solution. "Silver solution" in common speech typically refers to water mixed with a very low concentration of silver, but technically a solution can be a solid, liquid, or gas.

Silver protein
Silver protein is a combination of silver with a protein binder. Silver proteins can cause argyria.

Silver salts
Silver salts are chemical compounds that contain silver in combination with a range of additional elements.  Silver itself is not toxic, but many silver salts are. Silver salts can cause argyria.