XenoN Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 I seacrhed but couldnt find anything else on this subject so I made a new thread. Anyone here ever try to manufacture KNO3 from cow manure and ash? I was wondering if it is at all worth it. I think i may try it soon just to see what it produces if anything at all. With my tight budget its hard to get large ammounts of the stuff due to high shipping costs.
styropyro Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 I'm guessing it wouldn't be worth messing with loads of cow crap for a little bit of crude Potassium Nitrate . But I'm pretty sure that the ash used was used because of its KOH content. I dont know how the reaction works at all but it may be fun to try to make some "old fashioned" black powder. And are you sure its cow manure? I thought it was something like urine in a block of hay for a year or so and the crystals were collected or something, but I may be wrong.
Chemguy Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 For one, I wouldn't want to do this, it would be horrible. It wouldn't produce anything pure enough for real pyrotechnic use, but it depends if you want it for that. Horse manure does contain nitrate, and tecnically the reaction would work. As you know you would need a lot of manure and urine. And you would need to collect the run off. And then evaporate the water and urine and remains. I expect there would be some urea and phosphates aswell which are unwanted. But what the hell. why not! Storopyro, the ash contains potassium carbonate, and it is called a double displacement reaction (I think ) K2CO3 + ?NO3 --> KNO3 + ?CO3. The question mark will be all sorts of things, like ammonium ion etc.
Mumbles Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 This thread is fucking stupid. If you are serious about this, research into a nitre bed. It will be cleaner and less disgusting.
Chemguy Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 Making it out of manure, while possible like I said before takes ages, is disgusting and is a waste of time. Look up hydroponics stores, gardening supplies as a source of K and N, stump rotter etc. It's not hard to find, and it isn't expensive. And if you can't find it you suck at searching and like mumbles said make a nitre bed. If you can't even do that then use nitrate fertilizer instead. It doesn't smell nearly as bad, but it costs a bit more.
oriansbelt Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 I seacrhed but couldnt find anything else on this subject so I made a new thread. What the heck? There is a thread not 1 thread down entitled "How to make KNO3" so your just lying about searching. And just take Chemguy's advice and buy stump remover.
Frozentech Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 For one, I wouldn't want to do this, it would be horrible. It wouldn't produce anything pure enough for real pyrotechnic use, but it depends if you want it for that. Horse manure does contain nitrate, and tecnically the reaction would work. As you know you would need a lot of manure and urine. And you would need to collect the run off. And then evaporate the water and urine and remains. I expect there would be some urea and phosphates aswell which are unwanted. But what the hell. why not! Storopyro, the ash contains potassium carbonate, and it is called a double displacement reaction (I think ) K2CO3 + ?NO3 --> KNO3 + ?CO3. The question mark will be all sorts of things, like ammonium ion etc. Close... the nitre bed / manure method has a very high content of Calcium Nitrate, very hygroscopic, to the point of wrecking any BP made with it. The Potassium Carbonate in the ash reacts to remove it. The only person I have even heard of doing this is Tom Peregrin, at some SCA meet. Evidently extremely disgusting. I think he said he got 5 lb of KNO3 from 50 gallons of liquified shit.
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