nick2354 Posted December 1, 2007 Posted December 1, 2007 I recently mixed Calcium Nitrate with Potassium Sulphate and then filtered the KNO3. I then was boiling the water out of the KNO3. It was working fine for about 20 minutes, but all of a sudden it went pop and some liquid flew out and scolded my finger (ouch!). Well, my questions are What have I done wrong? Should i continue boiling it? Should i use Sun Evaporation? thank you in advance.
asilentbob Posted December 1, 2007 Posted December 1, 2007 A pocket of air was trapped and got released. I would recommend not boiling solutions when there is very little water level left in relation to how much substance is dissolved in it. A hot plate on something like 150F might work well... alternately perhaps you could pour the solution out into a flat pan to give it more surface area, then turn on the oven and let it heat up to some temperature where the solution wont be boiling, but it will be evaporating fast. Then put the tray in there and leave it alone for a while. Oven's stay hot pretty well as long as they are closed, so you could heat up the oven, turn it off, put the tray in, and just leave it so the residual heat will work on it... Putting it out in the sun will work too, but slower, and bugs and such might fall into it. After it is mostly dry, break up clumps and spread it out into a thin layer, dry in the oven, then store in an air tight container so that it doesn't absorb moisture. Ball mill before use.
nick2354 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Posted December 2, 2007 Thankyou for your help! I poured the rest of KNO3 with water solution onto alfoil and used a lght in my room to heat it up. It worked great! Next time I will to put the solution in the oven below 100 degress celsiuis I am now going to be making a smoke bomb with it.
ChainSmoker Posted January 9, 2008 Posted January 9, 2008 That's really cool that you're trying to make KNO3, but it would seem to me that the other ingredients would be more difficult to acquire than KNO3.
nick2354 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Posted January 9, 2008 Are you American, because if so then your right. But I live in Australia, KNO3 is only available at Hydro shops to my knowldge (there may be more). Potassium Sulfate is at EVERY gardening store.Calcium Nitrate is at SOME gardening stores. But my problems are solved because I bought some KNO3 from a hydro store
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