So today while in Hobby Lobby digging around to see if they have any aluminum powder(which ofcourse they don't), I came across the DIY soap
section. Remembering the nifty reaction between glycerine and KMnO4, I picked up an 8oz bottle of "pure vegetable glycerine". After getting
home I put a put a drop onto a small pile(maybe 20 grams), which after a while produced a nice pink flame. The slow start of the raction kinda threw
me off, but its pretty cold up here now.
I noticed at the store that they sold glycerine in solid blocks for much cheaper than the liquid stuff I bought. Now I have read that solid glycerine
will pick up moisture from the air until it forms an 80/20 solution with water. Now I was wondering if anyone else has bought 'solid
glycerine' from a store and had it pick up water and then reacted it with and KMnO4.
Also, does any oxidiser work, not just KMnO4?
Sounds like it should to me, but what do I know(and I don't have any KNO3 yet)
Another thing, I read posts about thermites and using aluminum powder, but it seems impossible for me to find in a real store. Is the internet the
only way to go?uber luminal - 27-11-2004 at 01:50
This thread will probably get shot down, but...
it would be interesting to know what the difference between the solid stuff and the liquid is. It would be nice to be able to buy the solid stuff as
its far cheaper. I know you can just add water until it is saturated, but how do you know when its saturated?
different oxidizing agents will work in different conditions, and will react with different organics again in different conditions. Havnt you ever
seen the molten KNO3 and a gummy bear? I think the reason MnO4(the K isnt important) works so well at room temp, is the possible electron
configuration of Mn over other metals with oxygen. but thats a guess.
As for thermits, theres a billion other threads that you can search through about aquiring Al powders. The internet is a good bet, you can find it in
shops around town, but you probably wont find it on a shelf somewhere. You can make it, but its a lot of work, esp if all your doing is making a few
thermit rxns.neutrino - 27-11-2004 at 08:47
I suspect that your solid glycerin is merely bulk glycerin soap. Remember that glycerin is a liquid at room temperature. If you really think that the
solid stuff is glycerin, add a bit to your liquid glycerin and chill it below 18*C (its melting point). If it all freezes, that means you have
glycerin crystals (or something else that can seed them) in your solid block.HNO3 - 27-11-2004 at 14:02
KIO3 works with glycerin. I found Al powder as Silver guilding powder??? at Hobby Lobby. I also found some glassware there, too.
PS Glycerin is a liquid at room temperature.
Ref: Glycerin
solo - 27-11-2004 at 15:33
Oxidation with cold nitric acid, glycerin yields glyceric acid .....read about glycerin
........solo
[Edited on 27-11-2004 by solo]
Al...
Mickhael - 27-11-2004 at 17:55
Quote:
Another thing, I read posts about thermites and using aluminum powder, but it seems impossible for me to find in a real store. Is the internet the
only way to go?
I happen to have about 400lb of Aluminum, in about 1/8" flacked form, I'm working on a way to grind higher amounts, but so far no
luck...however i do still have the bulk metal...if someone else wanted to grind it themselves...
Secondly, I have just recieved 1000 grams of high purity Al powder from Kno3.com, which got here to Canada very fast, and seems to be high quality,
however its pretty expensive...
I also found some glassware there, too.