ryan0713
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things to do with copper carbonate?
Hey, guys
I recently made about 3 grams of copper carbonate and now I don't know what to do with it. Anybody have any ideas?
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#maverick#
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Heat it to decompose it to copper oxide and make thermite
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barley81
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Make other copper salts by reacting it with acids. Dissolve it in vinegar to make copper acetate, dissolve it in hydrochloric acid to make copper
chloride, etc. You can also powder it with charcoal and heat to make copper metal, or just heat it to make copper oxide. Plenty of things.
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bob800
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As suggested, dissolve it in HCl to form CuCl<sub>2</sub>, and then evaporate the solution. Once you have some crystals, dissolve them in
alcohol and drip the alcohol/copper solution on some paper. When ignited, it will burn with a GORGEOUS bright blue flame (especially if there are a
few dry crystals on the paper). This never ceases to amaze me!
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cyanureeves
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adding vinegar and lead to make lead acetate was new for me and worked really fast. the blue disapeared and copper formed on the lead as the lead
slowly disappeared also. thanks to ma boa plante1999 for teaching a new dog an old trick.
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AJKOER
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As many copper compounds are highly toxic to lower organisms (like fungus, fish, pets, insects, etc.), try and dissolve in ammonia and use on some
annoying bugs!
(Wear gloves/protect clothes to avoid ingestion through skin contact)
I remenber a post where someone installed a Brass fitting in their fish tank. Not cleaning the water regularly, the fishes via excrement introduced
NH3 that reacted with the copper in the brass and then......
everything died - the fish, the plants, ....
attempts to clean proved difficult.
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entropy51
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Got a
reference for that assertion JOKER?
CuSO4 Root Killer is intended to be poured down drains and is licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency, not exactly known for a cavalier
attitude about chemicals.
My lab once had a contract to study a particular pharmacological property of copper. We put copper into the drinking water bottles of the mice. Mice
went feet up.
We then tried reducing the amount of copper in the drinking water and increasing the dose every week. The mice thrived on quite high levels of copper
in their drinking water. I suspect it ain't as toxic as you think.
Nicodem is right. We should be requiring posters to cite references.
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Adas
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What about toxicity to humans? Because I am now a bit afraid to work with Cu compounds, as they might be absorbed through the skin, or vapors can be
inhaled, because it's slowly evaporating when I'm drying it. I was working with CuCO<sub>3</sub>, and I had it all over my fingers and
under my nails. It also stinks. Is it bad?
Rest In Pieces!
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bbartlog
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It's not all that toxic. For starters, it's an essential mineral... you need small quantities of it (like about 1 milligram per day) and it occurs in
various foods. It follows that your body has mechanisms for dealing with it... you don't need to worry about long term bioaccumulation as you would
with many other metals. Not that you should eat copper compounds or go crazy painting yourself with copper-based pigments; but under normal usage and
exposure it's not dangerous.
The less you bet, the more you lose when you win.
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bbartlog
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Quote: Originally posted by entropy51  | Got a
reference for that assertion JOKER?
CuSO4 Root Killer is intended to be poured down drains and is licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency, not exactly known for a cavalier
attitude about chemicals.
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Well, it is used as an algaecide in fish tanks (and to treat some fish diseases). I've used it to treat coccidiosis in my chickens. It's been used as
a wood preservative and also as an antifungal treatment (as part of Bordeaux powder). I think its toxicity to at least certain classes of
microorganisms is pretty well established by its traditional uses. As for insects, pets and fish, though - I don't know that it's any more toxic to
them than it would be to humans.
The less you bet, the more you lose when you win.
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Adas
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Thank you, bbartlog! 
Rest In Pieces!
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rstar
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Something to do with CuCO3, Hmmm....
Dissolve it in an organic acid solution. You may get a very dark blue organo-copper complex. Remember to evaporate the solution down to get their
crystals.
How about tryin' Citiric acid solution, or just Lemonade
"A tidy laboratory means a lazy chemist "
- Jöns Jacob Berzelius
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