Synthesizing chems at home

[Swede]

These days, though, I'll bet there's some pressure being applied by the feds in a variety of markets. Look at Firefox... royally screwed.

[Ventsi]

Ohh yeah !!

The guys at FireFox must have it real bad.

 

anyway.

Does anyone know how to coat Steel powder with wax/paraffin?

i just got done milling some from 0000 grade steel wool into acceptable powder[i reckon its about 80-150 mesh].

I just want to give it a protective coating for use in KNO3 based fountains and comets.

Edited February 25, 2009 by Ventsi

[Bonny]

Ohh yeah !!

The guys at FireFox must have it real bad.

 

anyway.

Does anyone know how to coat Steel powder with wax/paraffin?

i just got done milling some from 0000 grade steel wool into acceptable powder[i reckon its about 80-150 mesh].

I just want to give it a protective coating for use in KNO3 based fountains and comets.

 

I've never done any with wax, but I have coated iron powder in linseed oil, it's quite simple. Heat the steel/iron in a pan on a hot plate or something, stir in the linseed oil, keep stirring until it is all coated. Remove from heat and continue stirring while it cools off. When cool enough to handle, I ran it through a 10 mesh screen to break up the big lumps. Allow to "dry" for a few days or even weeks (linseed oil only, paraffin will be done when cool)

[Ventsi]

Thanks Bonny!

How much should I use?

A ratio given,would be nice.

i realy dont want to add too much since i might end up with steel covered wax.

 

 

Do you know any good streamer comps utilizing Fe[C] as a fuel?

[Bonny]

Thanks Bonny!

How much should I use?

A ratio given,would be nice.

i realy dont want to add too much since i might end up with steel covered wax.

 

 

Do you know any good streamer comps utilizing Fe[C] as a fuel?

 

 

I checked Passfire (if you aren't yet you should become a member...great resource), and one person recommended 2% paraffin to start. He siad to heat the iron over med heat, drop the paraffin on top and it will distribute via capillary action. I'd still stir it anyway after a few minutes but have nevr tried paraffin.

There are a few star comps out there with steel I think, but it is mostly used in drivers and fountains.

[Ventsi]

Thanks.

 

I will try this and maube post some results.

I really dont have the money for Passfire ,even though i know its well worth it.

I'll try it in some fountains

[Ventsi]

guess its not easy for some people to get nitric acid, apparently theres a method where people dissolve the carbonates in vinegar then through double displacement with potassium nitrate. Not sure of quality of the product from this though.

 

 

While im on here

 

Do yiou mind describing the process ?

I might just give it a shot

[tentacles]

Nitric acid isn't something you should attempt without learning how to handle first. NO2 does NOT forgive. Do some research and you'll learn how to synthesize HNO3 in the process. Working with strong mineral acids and superacids is not something you should take lightly. Hell, there's even a nitric acid thread here. I'd suggest starting with the wikipedia article and learn some of the do's and don'ts.

[Swede]

I agree with Tentacles here. To obtain a grade of nitric acid that will do what we want (and I won't go into that) requires typically a high-quality vacuum distillation rig, and plenty of know-how. I researched a bit and decided the money spent for the real stuff is dirt-cheap compared to the expense and risks of a DIY setup.

 

If you are in a country where HNO3 is essentially unobtainable, much research can be done with sulphuric plus a nitrate salt like NH3NO3 or KNO3.

[Ventsi]

I live in the USA .

Im not intrestetd in the nitric acid method .

 

I wanted to find out how the method with common vinegar was done mostly out of curiosity. and for future reference.

[Bonny]

I live in the USA .

Im not intrestetd in the nitric acid method .

 

I wanted to find out how the method with common vinegar was done mostly out of curiosity. and for future reference.

 

 

See here:

http://www.pyrosociety.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=1061

[Richtee]

I live in the USA .

Im not intrestetd in the nitric acid method .

 

I wanted to find out how the method with common vinegar was done mostly out of curiosity. and for future reference.

Since yer here... <the US>just buy it. It's bad enough using it...why go thru the extra exposure and whatnot to make it?

[Ventsi]

I think ive found a local source of metal salts[art shop ]

 

In the mean time ill try this with some useless CaCO3 and make into some CaNO3 [no idea why, ill do some research before i try it]

 

Thanks guys

And ill stick to having only one strong acid in my house[H2SO4}

[Ventsi]

Hmm ...

I remember reading that wallpaper adhesive/glue is made out of CMC.

Any outputs ? I'd love to swing by HD to pick some up.

 

 

On a unrelated note: Durham's rock hard water putty looks like its not being manufactured anymore, and I can't find good quality gypsum anywhere else.

[Swede]

Wallpaper glue = CMC gum, wouldn't surprise me one bit, but it may have stuff in it besides CMC gum. Regardless, it might make a good binder.

 

You'll also find CMC gum in KY Jelly, among other consumer products. It's everywhere! Let us know what you find. The stuff I have is a yellowish powder that looks vaguely like corn meal. It usually comes as a sodium salt, but a more pure form exists. I don't know if the sodium content would throw the color of a star off, but for BP, shouldn't matter.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Swede

[Pretty green flame]

Wallpaper glue = CMC gum, wouldn't surprise me one bit, but it may have stuff in it besides CMC gum. Regardless, it might make a good binder.

 

Wallpaper paste is just Methyl cellulose IIRC. And KY has Hydroxyethyl cellulose, I doubt you'd be willing to lubricate yourself with glue

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

I'd be wary about using Copper Perchlorate. It's a primary explosive first and foremost. It's also mighty hygroscopic.

 

I cant find any information about copper perchlorate anywhere. I have no use for it, or have no desire to even come close to the stuff. I do have lead filled copper pipe for media, and I want to know if this will synthesize if I try to mill AP. It would make a very sad day to find my mill full of Ammonium Perchlorate exploding, much less everything around the mill.

[mike_au]

I do have lead filled copper pipe for media, and I want to know if this will synthesize if I try to mill AP.

 

I can't comment on that myself, but a while ago I mentioned that I was thinking of using brass media for milling pot. perc and was told it was a really Bad Idea. So at a guess I would say that you shouldn't try. Grab some ceramic media just to be on the safe side.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

Sounds like a plan.. That may be a chemical I don't want to synthesize at home.

[Ventsi]

BUMP!

 

I recently tried dissolving SrCO3 into distilled vinegar. I put 25 g really fine carbonate into 200 ml vinegar and after 24 hours it still has not dissolved.

 

I was going for Strontium nitrate as the finished product , but its just not dissolving.

Any takes?

[Swede]

BUMP!

 

I recently tried dissolving SrCO3 into distilled vinegar. I put 25 g really fine carbonate into 200 ml vinegar and after 24 hours it still has not dissolved.

 

I was going for Strontium nitrate as the finished product , but its just not dissolving.

Any takes?

 

I should know this in better detail... but I think the vinegar is not going to hack it. It will require expensive and hard to obtain nitric acid to do the conversion, IIRC.

 

Even if it dissolved in the vinegar, what was your planned next step to obtain the nitrate, which is highly soluble in water?

 

Ahh, here's a little blurb from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strontium_nitrate

[Ventsi]

Well it was going to be into a solution of NH4NO3 and then recrystalization.

 

Now that I think about couldn't just a solution of NH4NO3 just be added to Sr.Carb. and SrCO3+NH4NO3>SrNO3+NH4CO3?

I think I read something like that on pyroguide. But then again, thats pyroguide.

[Seymour]

Ammonium nitrate and Strontium carbonate will get thhe nitrate, but only after boiling the solution/suspension for a long log time.

 

I remember people reporting that they had to top the water up many many times.

 

This way might work, but at a high cost in energy and time.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

Vinegar is very very impure acid. Its only 3-5% pure Acetic Acid IIRC. It also is a very slow way to go..

 

 

Go to a pool store and get some HCl sold as Muriatic Acid. You will get much better results this way. I tried a similar technique to make copper acetate, and it took 4 gallons of vinegar and 3 bottles of H2O2 to make maybe a pound of this stuff. Also, it took 2 months to evaporate.

[Mumbles]

Theres a big difference between purity and concentration. The acid is actually very pure. A more concentrated acid is available as cleaner (10%), or as a far more concentated form from photography supply places (80-100%).