valeg96
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Experiments to do with potassium tetraborate?
I've been given for free a kg of potassium tetraborate, analysis grade. What can I do with it? There's almost nothing about it on the net, not even on
wiki. Can I synthesize other compounds with it? I've also been given mercury (II) chloride ( 1g/L, 100mL) and zinc sulfate (200g), both analysis
grade.
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Brain&Force
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Try a small flame test with it - I'm curious about what color it would be. Sodium borate produces a yellowish flame; I think potassium borate forms a
green flame because the potassium lines are very weak.
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
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Artemus Gordon
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Na+ ions and K+ ions are pretty similar. I would think anything you can do with sodium tetraborate could be done with potassium tetraborate. <a
href="http://chemistry.about.com/b/2012/10/01/download-the-golden-book-of-chemistry-experiments.htm"> The Golden Book of Chemistry
Experiments</a> shows how to make boric acid, and there are several places where you can find recipes for Silly Putty or slime, including
About.com Chemistry.
Out of curiousity, did the person who gave it to you tell you what they intended to use it for?
[Edited on 18-4-2014 by Artemus Gordon]
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sasan
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valeg96 react the tetraborate with hydrochloric acid to obtain boric acid,heat the boric untill B2O3 forms
and you can solve boric acid in the methanol(sulfuric acid catalyst) to gain trimethyl borate,it ignites with a very pretty green flame
I have too much sodium tetraborate inhand too,I reacted it with soluble metal salts to make insoluble metal borates like copper tetra
borate,Iron(ll)tetra borate,lead tetra borate and...
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nezza
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Alkali tetraborates are used in the borax bead test for coloured metal cations. Borax is taken up onto a platinum loop and melted. This is dipped into
a sample of the metal salt to be tested and remelted. Metals with coloured ions (Copper, cobalt etc) give an attractive colour to the transparent
borax bead.
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HgDinis25
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If you wish, you can go all the way to elemental Boron. React with a strong acid to obtain Boric Acid, Dehydrate the Boric Acid to obtain B2O3 (Boron
Oxide). Make a thermite out of the oxide and obtain Boron xD
There is actualy a great video explaining this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QBCyOrjR2o
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chloric1
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Actually, I’m about to make potassium tetraborate from boric acid and potassium hydroxide! I made a great brazing flux with borax, trisodium
phosphate and boric acid but the yellow flame is a bit much. I still get better results than some commercial fluxes but I want to try a potassium
version. I have 75% phosphoric acid and nearly 2 pound of KOH flakes. I’ll make potassium tetraborate and tripotassium phosphate. The K3PO4 is
VERY soluble so I’ll keep that part in the aqueous phase and add to the two powdered ingredients with any additional water if needed to mix.
Fellow molecular manipulator
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