Author Topic: Cleaning up commercial paraformaldehyde  (Read 91 times)

Balkan Bonehead

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Cleaning up commercial paraformaldehyde
« on: January 08, 2011, 06:26:07 AM »
When attempting to replicate Megalomania's process for the depolymerization of Wally-World paraformaldehyde, there was left floating around "curds" that failed to dissolve, even after heating for a long time. This is attributed to the impure nature of the paraformaldehyde, and of course, it still carried a bluish tinge and faint perfume odor even after multiple washings to remove these impurities. Has anyone experience in successfully decontaminating this form of paraformaldehyde?

Vesp

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Re: Cleaning up commercial paraformaldehyde
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2011, 07:17:39 AM »
Megalomania's process?

What is it again? Washing with methanol repeatedly?
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jon

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Re: Cleaning up commercial paraformaldehyde
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2011, 04:36:11 PM »
you really don't get it totally clean but most of the surfacants can be washed away on the bushner funner with water
some at SM recommend alcohol but that carries some of the paraform with it.
i always just get the surcants out with water so it does'nt foam over, out don't worry about the dye.

Balkan Bonehead

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Re: Cleaning up commercial paraformaldehyde
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2011, 05:59:05 PM »
Megalomania's process?

What is it again? Washing with methanol repeatedly?

It's here, under formaldehyde: http://web.mit.edu/semenko/Public/Military%20Manuals/RogueSci-Mirror/synth/synthesis2.html

It calls for heating paraform with catalytic NaOH until all of it dissolves. Water was used instead of alcohol for washing, it being reasoned that it was at least as effective and a lot cheaper.

Perhaps the problem was just too little NaOH and/or too weak a heating period.