Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Newly Interested In Chemistry

quake120 - 13-6-2015 at 19:19

Starting a few years ago (around the time NurdRage starting making videos) I began an interest in chemistry, although I have always been interested in science. His video on glow stick chemistry is one that has been a favorite of mine because I find chemo luminescence pretty fascinating.
I have a glow stick right here, but one that is dead. Is it possible to revive the glow stick reaction by adding more 30% H2O2, or is it the TCPO (or CPPO, etc) that is what is spent?

Rest assured, I will take proper safety precautions (gloves, done outside, etc), but can you think of anything else I should be aware of when opening these? Another question related to safety is just what kind of gloves are the best to use for chemical experiments? I have nitrile exam gloves.

Thanks and I hope to learn a lot from the forum!

[Edited on 14-6-2015 by quake120]

Deathunter88 - 14-6-2015 at 01:29

The best type of general purpose glove for use in the lab is Nitrile. The thin disposable ones for daily use and use with less hazardous substances. The non-disposable thick Nitrile gloves can be used for things like dispensing concentrated sulphuric acid. One thing to note, if you use fuming nitric acid then you should get some butyl rubber gloves because fuming nitric acid will set fire to most normal gloves.

quake120 - 14-6-2015 at 15:39

Thanks, Deathunter88! I wouldn't have known nitric acid sets gloves on fire and that could have been bad news :) I don't have any nitric acid at the moment, so not a big deal, but it is certainly possible I may have some relatively soon. I was going to try out some aqua regia to remove gold from circuit boards as soon as I'm a bit more comfortable handling acids.

Loptr - 15-6-2015 at 05:12

quake120,

Check out this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBVdGGml6bU

I demonstrated this to my wife and she freaked out. This was after I distilled about 200 mL of anhydrous nitric acid from a potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid mixture. I always deal with it on a tray that is fine if I spill it.

[Edited on 15-6-2015 by Loptr]

[Edited on 15-6-2015 by Loptr]

binbin - 15-6-2015 at 06:56

Quote: Originally posted by Loptr  
quake120,

This was after I distilled about 200 mL of anhydrous nitric acid from a potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid mixture.



You distilled 200ml of NHO3? Most I've ever did at one time is 50ml and that's scary enough :P

I ended up having the fumes burn through the nitrile glove and color the top layer of skin on my finger. Took 2 weeks for it to return to normal color.

Use butyl rubber... Lesson learned: always research your safety equipment's resistance to the chemicals that you intend to experiment with and the by-products that will be produced. Also, nitric acid fumes and NOx will not be filtered by respirator cartridges. You need supplied air, a fume hood, or outside and stand far back.



[Edited on 15-6-2015 by binbin]

quake120 - 15-6-2015 at 09:24

Quote: Originally posted by Loptr  
quake120,

Check out this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBVdGGml6bU

I demonstrated this to my wife and she freaked out. This was after I distilled about 200 mL of anhydrous nitric acid from a potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid mixture. I always deal with it on a tray that is fine if I spill it.

[Edited on 15-6-2015 by Loptr]



[Edited on 15-6-2015 by Loptr]


That is scary! Definitely not going to be playing with nitric acid until I have some experience in handling a lot of these dangerous chemicals!

As I said in the OP, I'll probably tear apart a glowstick or two first, then I may make some ferric chloride (for circuit etching). Should be a good introduction handling HCl and H2O2.

[Edited on 15-6-2015 by quake120]

Loptr - 15-6-2015 at 10:26

Quote: Originally posted by binbin  
Quote: Originally posted by Loptr  
quake120,

This was after I distilled about 200 mL of anhydrous nitric acid from a potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid mixture.



You distilled 200ml of NHO3? Most I've ever did at one time is 50ml and that's scary enough :P

I ended up having the fumes burn through the nitrile glove and color the top layer of skin on my finger. Took 2 weeks for it to return to normal color.

Use butyl rubber... Lesson learned: always research the chemical's resistance to your safety equipment. Also, nitric acid fumes and NOx will not be filtered by respirator cartridges. You need supplied air, a fume hood, or outside and stand far back.


[Edited on 15-6-2015 by binbin]

[Edited on 15-6-2015 by binbin]


It was a little less than 200 mL, but yeah, it was the first time I had ever handled it in such high concentration. I found it very hard to store, as it was starting to eat the threads on the PTFE thermoset cap I was using, so I ended up diluting it to around azeotrope for safety reasons.

I have purchased some ground glass stoppered bottles from Elemental Scientific (coming tomorrow), one of which will be used for another run to contain fuming nitric acid. I don't want the decomposition to result in a bottle breaking due to pressure buildup, and a cap that can vent would be great.

agent_entropy - 17-6-2015 at 08:34

I've never heard of nitric attacking PTFE before. Are you sure the cap was PTFE?

Loptr - 17-6-2015 at 10:18

As it turns out the entire cap isn't PTFE, but has a PTFE facing, so that statement was incorrect.

This is the type of bottle I was using.
http://www.amazon.com/Qorpak-GLC-02271-Thermoset-Diameter-mi...

Molecular Manipulations - 17-6-2015 at 14:59

Many kitchen gloves are made of LDPE, a hydrocarbon polomer which is completely stable in 99% nitric and near anhydrous nitrating mixtures.
Distilling a larger volume isn't much more dangerous than a few 100 ml's IMO. I used to make about 2 Liters when I ran out. Now I don't use it much, but still have about 300 mls.
Picture of gloves is attached
Attachment: p150.jpg gloves (56kB)
This file has been downloaded 637 times

[Edited on 17-6-2015 by Molecular Manipulations]