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How to tell barium nitrate from strontium nitrate


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Posted

I accedently mixed up two bags one has strontium nitrate and one has barium nitrate is there a easy way of telling which is what one seems a little whiter than the other

Posted
Make a small 10-25 gram test batch, and see what color it burns . . .
Posted

If you have a blowtorch then the flame colours are obvious just sprinkle a grain or two into the hot blue flame.

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Posted

what arthur said is spot on. no fuss no muss. the strontium will make quite a red flame and very easy to tell.

Posted

If you can't tell one of the flame colours from 50 milligrammes take up knitting! You only need to identify one chem to know what the other is, if there are only two unknowns.

Posted

perfect ill try that thanks

Posted

worked like a charm thanks guys

Posted

If you can't tell one of the flame colours from 50 milligrammes take up knitting! ...

 

Yeah, but he'd probably get his red & green wool mixed up - and what a horrible mess that would look for his new ball-mill cover. :D

 

Sorry, insutama - I couldn't help myself. Glad you asked though, so I won't have to in the future :)

Posted

Glad you sorted it! With pyro "unknowns" can be dangerous so always try really small quantities.

Posted

strontium nitrate burns very red, with or without a chlorine donor.

 

barium nitrate burns yellow in a flame test, it needs a chlorine donor to turn green.

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