[tinapratiwi]

What happens when the metal silver, oxygen and ammonia reacted in a container? ammonia can soften the silver metal? please help me..

[csrscience.com]

Ammonia wouldn't soften the metal - I find it more likley that under these basic conditions the ammonia could help form a silver oxide that might possibly form a complex with the ammonium ions in solution.
I doubt much would happen though unless you are talking about an oxidation reaction where silver acts as a catalyst to convert ammonia into nitrogen oxides, and water.

Or possibly just nitrogen and water.. depending on the conditions - this wouldn't happen in solution however...

[tinapratiwi]

thanx Indiesci..
I mean, if I have metal silver and then I burn that silver with added ammonia? what will happen? 

I work at jewelry company, with metal silver and gold, until now I still confuse with that reaction among silver, ammonia, and oxygen...
thank you...

[csrscience.com]

What sort of conditions is this reaction in? And what is it that you do exactly?

[tinapratiwi]

I have a silver wire, then I burn in the burning machine and the end result of such burning, wire sprayed with ammonia. how do you think?
the end result of these circumstances, silver wire becomes more flexible. if not given ammonia the wire of silver color's are changed to black not white silver again.

[csrscience.com]

The ammonia must be reducing some sulfide, or possibly an oxidide (unlikley IMO) that forms on the silver upon heating it.

The most likely skeletal reaction is  NH3 +  O2 => N2 + H2O

I hypothesize that using alcohol would also do the same thing - might want to try it to test and see if this is really what is going on...


PS. This is while it is still hot, correct?

If not, then the ammonia solution may be complexing with the Ag2S that I believe to be forming and simply dissolving away reacted silver....

[tinapratiwi]

yes its true, the condition of reaction is hot around 800-900 0C.

but which part of the reaction can  causes the metal to be soft? and the color of the metal still white???

[csrscience.com]

Heating the silver and allowing to cool in certain conditions probably plays a huge roll in making it soft.
Look up annealing... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annealing_%28metallurgy%29

[tinapratiwi]

Ok thank you IndieSci..