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megalomania
June 15th, 2003, 11:39 AM
Arthis
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posted 05-09-2001 02:45 PM
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Humm, well I know this type of topics is frequent but I just tried since I managed to have a distillation set (in fact to complete it), and I remembered that nitric acid was a good thing, useful thing to make with it, instead of alcool (I don't drink, and it smells bad when distilled). So I just tried tonight, a while before taking my shower and go to bed, very fastly. I didn't cooled the gas I got, but I would like to know if everything's OK.
When I heat NH4NO3 with 95% sulfuric acid, I get white gases, which come up the Vigreux' column, then go threw the cooler (I didn't make water go into it because I need to make a system for it). The white smell acid; And there is liquid which go down the column (normally it means that the column isn't at the good temperature, like a chiminea). this liquid is red. So, I know that I must cool, and all that, but before make all that, I just would like to know if the reaction is good, I mean if I'll get HNO3 if I cool.

And what is the red liquid ? concentrated nitric acid should make red fumes, but I never heard about red acid. What would be the formula of the white coulds ?

Thanks.



FadeToBlackened
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Posts: 201
From: Hell
Registered: MAR 2001
posted 05-09-2001 05:39 PM
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Red liquid. Sounds like red fuming nitric acid to me. An excess of NO2 (red gas) dissolved. I dont know what the white stuff is.


zaibatsu
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posted 05-10-2001 02:35 AM
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is the white stuff H2SO4?


Bitter
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From: 11 Downing Street, London, England
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posted 05-10-2001 09:50 AM
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COuld it be a little gaseous ammonia (NH3)?


Arthis
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posted 05-10-2001 11:44 AM
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What's the reaction when you distillate AN and sulfuric acid ? I think HNO3 is gaz then is cooled into the aqueous form.
Do you need to make the gazes you have bublle into water ?


FadeToBlackened
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From: Hell
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posted 05-10-2001 05:21 PM
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I believe NBK2000 has said that pure ammonia can make white smokey stuff, so i suppose it could be. Sulfuric acid is supposed to make white smoke if it gets too hot, though.


Arthis
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posted 05-11-2001 12:04 PM
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I tried to make nitrix acid again, with water in Liebig's tube to cool the gases. I obtained red gases, as I waited. Vigreux's column was wet because it hadn't dried since I washed it, and I obtained yellow liquid, not very acid compared to my 57 % nitric acid. Hum, I tried again and as Vigreux's column wasn't wet any more, red gases didn't cool enough or I don't know but I couldn't obtain any liquid: the gases instead of condensating, get in the beaker and "fly" away. So I tried to make red gases bubble in the yellow lliquid, but I couldn't obtain anything. I don't know what to do else.
What is wrong ? Has anyone tried before, and it worked ? Any advice ?
And would anyone know the reaction which happens ?
I use AN with sulfuric acid. Need I to use salpeter or sodium nitrate ? Are the red gases NO2 ?

Many questions, hope someone can answer. Thanks.



FadeToBlackened
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Posts: 201
From: Hell
Registered: MAR 2001
posted 05-11-2001 05:20 PM
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I would say yes, the red gases are NO2 (or possibly NO).


10fingers
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posted 05-13-2001 08:20 AM
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*
[This message has been edited by 10fingers (edited October 26, 2001).]



Arthis
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Registered: OCT 2000
posted 05-15-2001 11:18 AM
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I searched in the Forum but couldn't find any topic where it's said how to purify it. How do you do ? I remember that a possible way was to put it in water, then filter, but don't really remember. And what is the max temperature you need to distilate nitric acid ?


SATANIC
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From: australia
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 05-16-2001 02:52 AM
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to purify ammonium nitrate, add water until it is all dissolved, and filter out any solids that won't dissolve( chalk etc. in fertiliser grade- as fire depressant) then heat until the water has completely evapourated, this leaves the AN in long crystals, which are also easier to crush.


DarkAngel
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posted 05-16-2001 04:34 AM
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http://theforum.virtualave.net/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000621.html
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Arthis
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Posts: 203
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Registered: OCT 2000
posted 05-16-2001 10:05 AM
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Maybe I didn't use the right search keywords.
How may you be sure that chemicals added don't dissolve ? I try anyway. Thanks


Anthony
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From: England
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posted 05-16-2001 06:09 PM
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I wanted to reduce some AN prills to powder the other day, I dissolved the NA in water nad then boiled the solution with the intention of being left with a mass of dry crystals. What actually happened was it seemed to straight from a boiling AN solution to Boiling liquid AN! I only noticed because of the huge amount of smoke coming off it. Less heat next time methinks


Gab
New Member
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From: Québec, Canada
Registered: MAR 2001
posted 05-16-2001 10:24 PM
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Be careful as there is NO2 in this smoke.


c0deblue
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posted 05-16-2001 11:59 PM
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Not to mention the fact that when molten AN starts giving off smoke it only has to get a little hotter before it explodes. Several texts mention that 275 degrees C is the "magic number".


zaibatsu
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From: England
Registered: SEP 2000
posted 05-17-2001 02:40 AM
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If when you heat AN you get NO2, then can't you bubble that through HNO3 to concentrate it more?


wantsomfet
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Posts: 236
From: EU
Registered: JAN 2001
posted 05-17-2001 06:34 AM
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Heating NH4NO3 results in formation of N2O, H2O. NH4NO3 --> N2O + 2H2O + 83 kJ.
Read this: http://internettrash.com/users/altreal/hno3/hno3usenet2.html

The german patent that is referred to by F.Z. states to use 1 mol NH4NO3 and min. 1 mole H2SO4 to ensure best reaction preformance.

http://odin.prohosting.com/~ratfuck/de280967.zip


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Arthis
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From:
Registered: OCT 2000
posted 05-18-2001 09:02 AM
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I don't think that 275°C is the magic number, otherwise it would be extremly easy to detonate some AN. Think that a cigarette is about 750°C. AP would detonate it easily. And a thermite too. We would just have to mix AN and thermit to make a powerful explosive. I think.
And who knows the reaction which occurs when you make nitric acid from N2O or NO3- ?

vulture
June 15th, 2003, 03:11 PM
The white fumes are HNO3 gas ofcourse! Any NH3 fumes would be immedialty neutralized by the HNO3 to NH4NO3, so you can assume that it does not exist in free form in these conditions.

Furthermore, using a vigreux column when distilling nitric acid is a waste of energy and a waste of nitric acid. A vigreux column is intended to separate liquids that have very close boiling points. In this case we're only dealing with HNO3 fumes (H2O is bonded by H2SO4) and a Vigreux column will require higher temperatures which will cause more decomposition.

NO3- in solution coming from a nitrate salt is a neutral species because it's the anion of a strong acid, therefore it will not protonate in aquatic or weakly acidic environment. Only strong acids like H2SO4 are able to protonate it to HNO3. This reaction goes for all nitrates.

With NO2 you need oxygen and water:

4NO2 + O2 + 2H2O <--> 4HNO3