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Homemade KNO3


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Today i invented something. Could I do KNO3(potassium nitrate) for that way?

 

K2CO3 (s) + HCl (aq) ---> KCl (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)

 

electrolyse, water and KCl solution

KCl (aq) ---> KOH (aq)

 

KOH (s) + NH4NO3 (s) ---> KNO3 (aq) + NH3 (g)+ H2O (l)

 

 

 

:o

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Well it look's like it could work. Maybe use HNO3 at the end with the potassium hydroxide instead. This will only make potassium nitrate solution, so you would need to let it crystalize out.

A rough equation-

KOH + HNO3 --------> KNO3 + H20

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Yes, but if i don't get HNO3 to pharmacy. I must make that seperately myself too...

 

Do you anyone know, what would be mixture´s ratio. I think 50/50:

 

KOH + NH4NO3

KOH + HNO3

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Well, it'd be a 50:50 molar ratio.

 

For the AN equation, it'd be a 56.1:80.0 mass ratio.

 

For the HNO3 it'd be a 56.1:63.0 mass ratio. Just be aware you have to take into account any dilution factor if your acid isn't 100% concentrated. If you had 68% mass per volume you'd need 92.64g of soln or about 68mL (density 1.343 IIRC).

 

 

Just to simplify things, there is no reason to convert to the chloride and then the hydroxide. Just mixing K2CO3 and NH4NO3 will work. You will have to boil the solution though. Ammonium Carbonate decomposes into Ammonia, water, and CO2 at boiling water temperatures. That'd be a 138.2:160.1 mass ratio.

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Hmmm... I think 2 parts NH4NO3 and 1 part K2CO3, because formula is

 

2 NH4NO3 + K2CO3 --> (NH4)2CO3 + 2 KNO3

 

I don't know, how much chemicals molar mass can affect:

 

 

NH4NO3

80.04336 g/mol

K2CO3

138.2055 g/mol

 

 

 

:rolleyes:

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IIRC 1:1 mol Ca(NO3)2: K2SO4 with result in 2 mol KNO3, the same methode can be used to make NH4NO3 just replace the K2SO4 with ammonium sulfate.
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  • 2 months later...
If you end up trying this I'd love to know about the results. In the mean time look what this guy came across..http://www.geocities.com/brainfevert/kno3.html This also seemed pretty interesting to me, makes me want to check my barns.
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  • 1 month later...
wow thats lucky he's got kno3 growing off the walls
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IIRC 1:1 mol Ca(NO3)2: K2SO4 with result in 2 mol KNO3, the same methode can be used to make NH4NO3 just replace the K2SO4 with ammonium sulfate.

I was wondering if you were to use Triammonium Phosphate would the calcium phosphate be easier to handle? On sciencemadness and this board I hear that Calcium Sulfate is a rather difficult material to handle with respects to filtration.

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  • 3 months later...
As a somewhat related question, I tried to purify some KNO3 from stump remover. The brand was Grant's Stump Remover. It consists of white, BB sized pellets. I soaked these in water and the water became very cloudy but the pellets were still solid, I poured off the water and added some more. I boiled the mixture in a pyrex bowl until everything dissolved (I was stirring as well). I let it sit for 5 hours and when I cam back there was powder dried along the bowls sides and edges, and along the bottom there were very defined crystals. I filtered everything out and dried it, then crushed it into powder as best I could without my mill. I melted sugar into the powder and let it cool on some aluminum foil after caramelizing. I shaped the foil around it tightly and lit the tip of the dried mixture. It ignited, created a lot of smoke, and the flame was a purple/pink/white color. I believe it was fairly pure KNO3, unless someone else could help me out?
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No, it would not work. If you electrolyse with metal anode, you get the metal hydroxide, if you electrolyse with inert anode you get KClO3.
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DeadFX: I had no problem filtering CaSO4 with a coffee filter in a buchner funnel / vacuum flask. I can't imagine filtering it without one though. There are tutorials around on making your own buchner funnel/flask. One just used semi-nesting flower pots. For a vacuum pump you could use a water bed pump, or a proper vacuum aspirator with check valve.
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drizzt05, don't worry about taking the extra step in re-crystalizing your KNO3 unless your having problems with it. Smoke compounds such as KNO3/sugar are pretty forgiving, as is black powder which I imagine will be your next endeavor. If there are any adulterants in the mix they are unlikely to be a problem.

 

By the way, be careful with that smoke mix. Hot KNO3/sugar CAN ignite and burn you BADLY if you're not properly protected. Heat it OUTDOORS, wear gloves, wear eye protection, and make SMALL amounts. Have fun, and stay safe.

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