Quote: Originally posted by benzylchloride1 | I ran the hydrazine sulfate synthesis described on Sciencemadness that uses 10% NaOCl solution and urea, last year. This synthesis worked well and I
obtained 185g of hydrazine sulfate. I am about to run the synthesis on a 1/2 scale in a 3 liter flask with mechanical stirring. The foaming problem
seems to be the only issue with this synthesis; the first batch I attempted overflowed the reaction flask. At least it was in a fume hood, so the
clean up was fairly easy. This was with the full scale procedure in the 3L RBF. I had the plastic funnel attached to the flask as stated. The second
attempt was conducted in a 5 gallon plastic bucket and transferred to the 3L RBF after the foaming stage via a syphon. I obtained a good yield of
hydrazine sulfate after neutralization, 185g. I am trying to see if this reaction could be scaled down without severly decreasing the yield. I
synthesised 2,4 dinitrophenyl hydrazine, and 3,5-dimethyl pyrazole using some of the hydrazine sulfate. I plan to synthesize some luminol using
readily available chemicals, including the hydrazine sulfate produced via this reaction. |
The trouble with that synthesis, is that despite a great deal of detail its rather imprecise in its key point. For instance the volume of bleach is
measured with great precision 1892ml, but then the bleach strength is quoted at 10%. Just a 1% change to 11% bleach strength alters the water content
by 180ml, which makes a mockery not only of measuring the volume to that precision, but also the subsequent attempts to dissolve the NaOH in bleach,
and the urea, and gelatine in a barely adequate amount of water.
There is the possibility that what seems to be a round figure of 10% in reality is accurately measured. That is unlikely, as the author does not seem
to have performed bleach titrations. For instance he states that 10% bleach solutions decompose within a few weeks, to a couple of months. I have
done bleach titrations, and a solution 11.5% strong, is still 8.2% even after 3 months non air-conditioned storage in temperatures which have exceeded
40 degrees for long periods of time. |