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megalomania
June 25th, 2003, 05:24 PM
pete
Frequent Poster
Posts: 56
From: u.k
Registered: JAN 2001
posted March 17, 2001 06:07 AM
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Does anyone know how to recover safely the ntric acid left after RDX production, if it was possible it would increase productivity alot. Thanks.


Mr Cool
Frequent Poster
Posts: 991
From: None of your bloody business!
Registered: DEC 2000
posted March 17, 2001 10:02 AM
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You could try cooling it as much as you can without it freezing to precipitate out practically all of the chemicals dissolved in it, and then distilling with conc. H2SO4, and then boiling the H2SO4 to re-concentrate that.
It might depend on which method you're using to make the RDX. Is it the ordinary 100% white HNO3 and hexamine?


pete
Frequent Poster
Posts: 56
From: u.k
Registered: JAN 2001
posted March 18, 2001 06:24 AM
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Yes, there is only nitric acid and hexamine mixed at the start of production of RDX by the method i'm using.
[This message has been edited by pete (edited March 18, 2001).]



Mr Cool
Frequent Poster
Posts: 991
From: None of your bloody business!
Registered: DEC 2000
posted March 18, 2001 12:52 PM
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Use a freezing mixture, such as ammonium nitrate and ammonium chloride in water. These can get to around -20*C.

rooster
June 30th, 2003, 05:04 AM
Why does mr cool want to add NH4Cl to the cooling mix?
Is it beacuse the equilibrium is pushed towards NH4NO3, which dissociates in water to make it even colder?

I think I read somewhere that AN in water could reach -14C. If so, this method is better.