Why aqua regia don't react with silver?

Answer 1

silver chloride forms, which is insoluble in aqua regia, HCl, or HNO3.

silver chloride is soluble in ammonium solutions but this can become very dangerous, as fulminate forms and can detonate when dried, acidifying them with HCl to precipitate the silver and form ammonium chloride solution is a safe way to handle them.

insolubility of silver chloride in aqua regia is one reason karat gold is inquatered, and parted in nitric before dissolving gold in aqua regia, the insoluble silver chloride will crust over the gold (from silver in the karat gold), and aqua regia cannot dissolve the gold with an layer of silver chloride protecting the gold from the acids.

some small amounts of silver chloride is soluble in aqua regia, remember soluble, or insoluble are relative terms, and can be affected by temperature, PH and so on.

metal refiner Richard B.

Answer 2

Aqua regia is a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid that can dissolve gold and platinum, but it doesn't react with silver because silver chloride forms a protective layer on the silver, preventing further reaction with the acids. This layer of silver chloride acts as a barrier, making it difficult for the acids to dissolve the silver.

Answer 3

A reaction exist. But: The nitric acid can dissolve silver but immediately the hydrochloric acid react and the insoluble silver chloride (AgCl) is formed.