[kingheross]

i am a student in Computer science and i don't know alot in chemistry but i want to make the silver conductive ink , the know that used in the pens to conduct electricity , i want to make the experiment 1 time only , just to use it in my final graduation project .
i found the formula on the youtube :
The ink is created by placing an aqueous solution of silver nitrate
into a flask of water combined with polyacrylic acid (PAA) and diethanolamine (DEA),
 the capping agent and reducing agent, respectively. After about twenty hours, the silver nitrate is dissolved,
 forming particles with a diameter of about 5 nanometers.
 In order to enlarge the size of the particle to an average diameter of about 400 nanometers,
 the flask is placed on a heated sonicator, a device that produces high-intensity ultrasound.
 Once cooled, the solution is poured into a larger flask and the thick precipitate, an insoluble solid,
 that is formed is scraped out. From there, ethanol is added to coagulate the particles,
 or change the particles to a solid state. Most of the supernatant, the liquid lying above a layer of the precipitate,
 is then poured out so that the remaining liquid can be centrifuged, or separated. After the process of centrifugation,
the particles are placed back in water and forced through a syringe filter to remove unnecessary particles in the solution.
 Next, hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is added as a binder and the entire mixtures is homogenized.
 The solvents are allowed to evaporate until the ink has a desired viscosity. or thickness.

20g AgNo3+ 15ml H2O ... + 50g H2O + 1.915g PAA (65% wt aqu) +40g DEA
sonicator for 1.5h at 65C
300ml ethanol 
..
my problem is that i can't find the polyacrylic acid in my country(Egypt) . i need your help guys to find a replacement for this acid .. like using another acid or another chemical substance to make the equation balanced and give the same output .

[wildfyr]

Really, the polyacrylic acid is hard one to find? I'd expect it to be the diethanolamine.

Anyways, polyacrylic acid is a stabilizer, it doesn't directly participate in the reaction. Its a cap. It basically makes sure you don't just end up with a clump of insoluble/unsuspendable garbage.

Polyethylene glycol might be suitable. I think you should look for polyacrylic acid sold under some trade name. Its also sold as Carbomer, and I'm sure as many other names too. I guarantee you have used a product containing it during the day today, it is that common. For instance, in diapers and adhesives.

[kingheross]

thanks alot for the reply , i will try to search it buy it's other names and i hope to find it , and if i couldn't find it , i will then try the Polyethylene glycol .

[billnotgatez]

I do not know if the below helps
and you might have to do some further selecting to get what you need

I went to this website that gives information on products that have chemicals in them
https://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/
and did a search on
polyacrylic acid
Then clicked on the link

Carbomer

From this I got a list

Synonyms:    2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer; Carbomer; Carbomer 910; Carbomer 934; Carbomer 940; Carbopol 934p; Carbopol 940; Polyacrylic acid; 2-Propenic acid, homopolymer; Acrylic acid homopolymer; Acrylic acid resin; Acrylic acid, polymer; Acrylic polymer; Acrylic resin; Atactic poly(acrylic acid); Carbopol 960; Carbopol 961; Carbopol 974P; Carbopol 980; Carboset 515; Carboset Resin No. 515; Carboxy vinyl polymer; Carboxypolymethylene; Carpolene; Poly(acrylic acid); Polyacrylate; Polyacrylate elastomers; Polymer, carboxy vinyl; Polymerized acrylic acid; Propenoic acid polymer

Plus a list of products that contain various levels of the Carbomer
I went back and clicked on the link

Polyacrylic acid emulsion

From that I got a list

Synonyms:    1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,2-di-2-propen-1-yl ester, polymer with ethyl 2-propenoate and 2-methyl-2-propenoic acid; Diallyl phthalate ethyl acrylate methacrylic acid polymer; Diallyl phthalate, ethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid polymer; Ethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-2-propenyl ester polymer; Phthalic acid, diallyl ester, polymer with ethyl acrylate and methacrylic acid

Plus a list of products that contain various levels of the Polyacrylic acid emulsion

I also went to WIKI and did a search on

polyacrylic acid

Which got me this page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyacrylic_acid
That gave me a list

Other names    PAA, PAAc, Acrysol, Acumer, Alcosperse, Aquatreat, Carbomer, Sokalan

[kingheross]

Thanks alot billnotgatez , i will search your list in the labs and i hope i find it.

may i ask what is mean by Binder ( hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is added as a binder) ?

and can i use another binder for this equation ?

[billnotgatez]

see WIKI

Binder (material)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binder_(material)