KMnO4 chemistry

[Picric acid DOES taste bitter!]

Yes, thats right i found 2700 grams (over 5 pounds) of 98% technical grade potassium permanganate in two bottles, and wonder what to do with it. I was thinking about some flash or rocket comps, but then saw that section of the flash-safety thread and read up on its rather nasty spontaneous traits, so its out of the picture.

 

Done some preliminary burn-tests with sugar, icing sugar, glycerol (a classic) ethanol and charcoal. Only the glycerol has ignited spontaneously yet (as it is supposed to) but i just dont feel comfortable using it in larger quantities.

 

Any ideas on what to do with it instead? Any good uses in synths to convert its entalpy into a more stable form? Tips, advice, formulas?

 

Those pounds aint gonna just go away and my fingers are itching from having a such potent oxidizer at hand!

 

Ps: Nicked them from the recycling-stations chemical dump. Pure enough from testing and optical scrutiny though, and the both bottles where viritually full.

[asilentbob]

There are many experiments that use it... I can't really remember much off hand... as I don't' have any I tend to not pay as much attention to reactions that use it... I vagely recall something about making benzoic acid through a few reactions... one of which is toluene + KMnO4... but don't quote me on that...

[TheSidewinder]

Yes, thats right i found 2700 grams (over 5 pounds) of 98% technical grade potassium permanganate in two bottles, and wonder what to do with it. I was thinking about some flash or rocket comps, but then saw that section of the flash-safety thread and read up on its rather nasty spontaneous traits, so its out of the picture.

 

*****SNIP*****

Thank you for having the good common sense not to use it in ANYTHING pyrotechnic-related.

 

And for any beginning pyrotechnicians reading this, please go see the safety threads about its nasty habits. It has *ZERO* use in pyrotechnics.

[crazyboy25]

Manganese heptaoxide is fun. Just get a SMALL amount of permanganate and slowly add enough sulfuric acid so it is all covered then anything organic that touches it will burst into flames or explode.