Sciencemadness Discussion Board

How to make KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate) at home?

Sarmento - 9-5-2012 at 06:46

Hi,

i've tried to make some kno3 at home with a method which uses soil and wood ashes, but it only gave me a little crystals.
Do You know some best way to make it at home?

Thanks

hissingnoise - 9-5-2012 at 07:01

You could extract it from the dried manure of farm animals, but it's still a lengthy process with little return for the effort . . .
Buying it is waaay easier!

Vikascoder - 9-5-2012 at 07:35

Which chemicals do you have which are containing nitrate ? May be then we can help you there are lots of videos on youtube which shows the synthesis of potassium nitrate

Hexavalent - 9-5-2012 at 08:48

This has been covered many times on this forum and on other sites and on YouTube as Vikascoder said. Please search around a little before posting.

White Yeti - 10-5-2012 at 11:33

Mix potassium hydroxide with nitric acid;)

Or, transplant nitrifying bacteria to a jug of oxygenated ammonia solution and neutralise the solution periodically with potassium carbonate. Evaporate to dryness.

Making such a rudimentary substance is just not worth it, buy it at your local hardware store.

Sarmento - 12-5-2012 at 06:46

These are the first impure crystals of KNO3 that i have collected today, synthetized by the way i described on this topic.

first_kno3_crystals.jpg - 118kB