Cyanides from Nitrates/Nitrites

[timsong]

Here is a patent method of producing metal (alkali metals) cyanides from the corresponing nitrate or nitrite.

http://www.geocities.com/timsonguk/cyanide.pdf

[Aurelius]

does anybody have a practical way of using this patent with limited supplies availability?

[timsong]

How are your supplies limited ?

It isn't too hard to make a small electric arc furnace, you just need some fire brick/fireclay, graphite welding rods and a decent power supply (arc welder).

[Aurelius]

do you have graphic version of what you just said (and no, that doesn't mean verbally graphic)  thanks for the help.

[timsong]

The furnace would be very simular to one needed to make phosphorus, check out some of the phosphorus threads, I remember one decribing the making a small arc furnace out of a clay flowerpot !
The arc furnace is decribed in detail in most good chemistry books, just scale down.

[Osmium]

> do you have graphic version of what you just said (and
> no, that doesn't mean verbally graphic)  thanks for the
> help.

What is your problem? Look at the link, it contains all you need. It helps to check page two if you know what I mean.

[timsong]

After reading the patent US6207024 regarding the preparation of phosphorus in which a mixture of phosphoric acid and carbon reductant are heated in microwaves at a much lower temperature than what would be needed in an electric furnace. It leaves me to believe that microwave heating of nitrite and carbon would give cyanide results at a much lower temperature too.
Obviously the microwave heating would have to be done in a non oxidising atmosphere (nitrogen/argon/helium).
Doing the same using nitrates and carbon may cause some problems as I can imagine the mix burning like gunpowder when rapidly heated in the microwaves.
The reaction chamber could consist of a fireclay container as this would not be affected by the microwaves.

What do you think bees ?
If my thought dreams could be seen, they'd probably put my head in a guillotine - Bob Dylan