metalresearcher - 15-11-2011 at 12:24
I put 1g Li2CO3 + 1g Mg powder in a steel retort and heated it to red hot.
After cooling I opened it and put the result into water which resulted in bright flames which is probably formed C2H2 gas which is a product of LiC +
water. The Bunsen flame colored Li magenta however.
Conclusion: Li2CO3 + Mg is NOT a method to make Li metal.
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Adas - 15-11-2011 at 12:30
Have you tried to smell the gas if it's acetylene?
metalresearcher - 15-11-2011 at 13:06
Yes it smelled a bit like C2H2. But the bright flames upon contact with water as seen in the vid are obviously from C2H2.
bahamuth - 16-11-2011 at 10:44
IIRC acetylene are odorless, it's the phosphine and arsine contaminants that smell in acetylene from calcium carbide, due to phosphorous and arsenic
contaminants in the ores from which they produce calcium carbide..
Please correct me if I am wrong..
And back to topic, one test to confirm acetylene is to synthesise copper acetylide from the produced gas.