chemkid - 17-7-2007 at 05:03
I have access to sodium and calcium carbonate. How can i convert theese to make potasium, lithium, and/or magnesium carbonate?
Chemkid
not_important - 17-7-2007 at 07:07
Magnesium is easy, standard reaction of a solution of Na2CO3 saturated with CO2 (and thus actually a solution of NaHCO3 satruated with CO2), and
magnesium sulkfate or chloride. Or you could slowly percolate a solution of MhCl2 through CaCO3, repeating with fresh MgCl2 solution until no more
calcium washed out; this may take a few hundred thousand years so schedule accordingly.
Potassium and lithium are more difficult. You can precipitate the sparingly soluble Li2CO3 from a solution of the chloride or nitrate using Na2CO3,
but it's soluble enough that you can give it only a cursory washing and will need to do one of the standard purification methods. For potassium you
could roast CaCO3 to get CO2, and treat KOH with that, which is somewhat a waste of KOH and effort.
The Mg is standard introductory chemistry, both Mg and K carbonates are covered in Wiki and older inorganic or general chemistry books; being able to
do literature research is a fundemental skill for working in chemistry.
Lithium carbonate is easier to get than the chloride or nitrate, it's used in ceramics and often is available at pottery supply stores. Magnesium
carbonate is another pottery chemical, although sometimes it is actually a basic carbonate labeled as "magnesium carbonate"; treatment of a slurry of
that with CO2 under several atmospheres of pressure in the cold gives a solution of the bicarbonate, which is then converted to the carbonate by
heating or letting it evaporate.
chemkid - 17-7-2007 at 13:55
Thankyou I'll try theese out when i get back into my lab.
12AX7 - 17-7-2007 at 14:38
Add or remove neutrons with a high neutron flux fission reactor core or gamma-ray spallation source. Wait a few half-lives for the daughter products
to decay by beta emission or electron capture and you'll have your transmuted chemicals using only sodium or calcium carbonate.
Tim
Too funny!
chloric1 - 17-7-2007 at 21:22
Tim that is rich! 
Or you can buy potassium carbonate of good purity at soap and cosmetic type suppliers. It runs $10 to $15 for about 5 pounds. U2U me for more info.