What the heck did I make? Sorry to do this for a first post.
I had finally gotten around to attempt the famous hot ice trick with sodium acetate. I wanted to do it the long way by trying to make my own sodium
acetate from NaOH and viniger. But I didn't get to boiling down the sodium acetate solution.
I transfered the solution into a small thin aluminum baking sheet, it was cheap and available and i had not much pyrex on hand to use, then instantly,
the fizzing began. Very enthusiastic fizzing. The sodium acetate solution was eating through the aluminum like a scary movie.
Original equation:
NaOH + CH3CO2 --> H2O + NaOCOCH3
Do the acetate ions prefer the Al(3+) or the Na(1+)
Aluminum acetate comes in 3 different varieties. Tri, di, and mono. The solution was basic, very slippery. What might have happened?Panache - 23-6-2011 at 20:19
lol, Al+OH----->disaster, use a stainless baking tray and only neutralise your vinegar don't basify it.simba - 23-6-2011 at 20:36
In short, the excess of NaOH you added to the mixture is making NaAlO2 out of your container.
[Edited on 24-6-2011 by shivas]LanthanumK - 24-6-2011 at 02:42
and H2 gas.AJKOER - 24-6-2011 at 06:09
Remember Vinegar solution is dilute acetic acid (assume 5%), recalculate required amount of NaOH (assume 100% pure) and put in an excess of vinegar.
With time (days) however, the Al baking sheet may still to dissolve as the solution attacks the protective Al2O3 coat, and permits a reaction between
Al and H2O generating H2.LanthanumK - 24-6-2011 at 06:24
Doesn't that reaction happen too slowly to be significant?Bot0nist - 24-6-2011 at 06:42
Why not use sodium bicarbonate? Baking soda is a lot easier to work with than lye.charkol3 - 24-6-2011 at 07:59
Doesn't that reaction happen too slowly to be significant?
Not this baking sheet supposedly. The fizzing began immediately, as well as significant heat emission. I used "Hefty EZ Foil Loaf Pans". They are
the one time use ones. Within 5 minutes of fizzing, the bottom had melted and the pan material itself was dripping when I picked it up.
And to Bot0nist,
I used lye because i was thinking since NaOH has a higher concentration density of Na. And I had some lye on hand to play with.
