carbon monoxide

[woo-jong]

I have once seen this reaction in my chemistry book.

C + H2O --------> CO + H2

the book says that this reaction is called "watergas reaction"
How can I perform this reaction?

[xoo1246]

The reaction requires 800 degree celsius.

[nbk2000]

You could also use CO2 instead of water.

CO2 + C -> 2CO

The reaction is endothermic (absorbs heat) so you need to supply external heating to maintain an incandescent red heat.

Water gas was originally used for household lighting in the victorian era till they came up with something better.

Add a little chlorine and activated charcoal to carbon monoxide and you've got phosgene.

Also, you're not supposed to be making new topics until you've responded to existing ones.

[VX]

If it's CO you want try heating wood chips in a closed metal container wth only a small hole in it, collect the gas that comes out, perhaps by use of some copper tube pushed into the hole and sealed?

If its H2 you want, try reacting Al foil with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), or acid.

Edit: typo

<small>[ June 15, 2002, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: VX ]</small>

[kingspaz]

heating wood chips will also produce a load of H2O also. this may screw things up by condensing in the tube.

[VX]

Yeah, good point. I forgot to mention that by then bubbling the gas through water, and into an upturned bottle full of water, the H2O will condense out, and reasonably dry CO will fill the bottle. This could be further dried by adding some H2SO4 conc. to the bottle, capping and leaving for several days, or by using some other dehydrating agent.

Alternitavely a better way of doing things would be to bubble the gas through conc H2SO4 as it is formed. This will remove water vapour, the gas couold then be collected.

[nbk2000]

When heating wood in a destructive distillation, you'll not only make charcoal, but you'll also create methanol (wood alcohol), acetic acid, phenol, and many other chemicals besides CO.

So you'd first want to condense the volatiles, pass the remaining gases through base (lye) solution to remove CO2 and acids, then through sulphuric to dry and remove any base residue, then finally collect the dry gas.

But CO is very weak as a poisonous gas. On par with chlorine. I don't know specifically what your interest in making CO is, but it'd only be useful (to me) for making phosgene.

[era5or]

For cardobmonoxidesynthesis mix antacid HCOOH with conc. sulfuracid (H2SO4).

NBK, what does your SS-Reichsführer Sturmhuhn mean? That doesn't make any sense at all.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++

It means "Newbies shouldn't ask stupid questions of an administrator". :p

It's an inside joke long time forumites understand, so don't ask.

<small>[ July 01, 2002, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: nbk2000 ]</small>

[BleedingLips]

Microwave HCOOH.

<a href="http://mattson.creighton.edu/MicrowaveMethod/" target="_blank">Scroll Down A Bit</a>

[era5or]

Microware antacid? Try it, you won't get a result.
Read the complete text!

["...10 drops HCOOH + 10 drops H2SO4..."]

[Polverone]

It should be noted that oxalic as well as formic acid can be heated in conc. H2SO4 to form CO. I am sure that for most of us it is easier to get oxalic.

[rikkitikkitavi]

high temperatures decompose formic acid HCOOH = CO + H2O.

The reverse reaction doesnt take place...

/rickard