Sciencemadness Discussion Board

I need method to prepare magnesium chloride from magnesium silicate or any available magnesium compounds

bluamine - 22-11-2015 at 09:36

Hi guys!!
Any method to prepare magnesium chloride from magnesium silicate or any available magnesium compounds. I found that buying magnesium chloride is pretty expensive for me, & that's all.

[Edited on 22-11-2015 by bluamine]

morsagh - 22-11-2015 at 10:14

Dissolve chalk that is used for gymnastics (it is MgCO3) in HCl.

bluamine - 22-11-2015 at 10:59

Quote: Originally posted by morsagh  
Dissolve chalk that is used for gymnastics (it is MgCO3) in HCl.

Are you sûre?! I mean i know available chalk here is calcium carbonate. Any alternative magnésium chemicals?

mayko - 22-11-2015 at 11:02

Make magnesium carbonate from sodium carbonate and magnesium sulfate, proceed with hydrochloric acid?

violet sin - 22-11-2015 at 11:13

epsom salt MgSO4 + janitorial ammonia NH4OH / NH3 / H2O => Mg(OH)2 ppt + (NH402SO4

filter off the Mg hydroxide to attack with HCl later, water the lawn with the ammonium sulfate

bluamine - 22-11-2015 at 11:52

I think magnesium sulfate wouls be even more expensive for me :( this is why I proposed magnesium silicate (baby powder) though I don't know any method to do that.

bluamine - 22-11-2015 at 11:59

I found this equation below but i am not sure if that would work or no:
Mg3Si4O10[OH]2 + 3 H2SO4 = 4 SiO2 + 3 MgSO4 + 4 H2O
If yes, any specific conditions to realize it?

j_sum1 - 22-11-2015 at 12:00

Epsom salts is pretty widely available and should not be too expensive. The problem is that it is usually a heptahydrate and so you are never getting as much as you think you are. It's more or less half a box of water. Shop around. Garden stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware stores. The cost should not be prohibitive.
Of course, if you need MgCl2 and can access that for roughly the same price then your should buy it directly and save yourself some bother.

mario840 - 22-11-2015 at 12:26

the first reply is probably the best 300g 35% hydrochloric acid and 100 ml H20 warm up and add 90 -100g MgCO3 , easy synthesis readily available

bluamine - 22-11-2015 at 12:36

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1  
Epsom salts is pretty widely available and should not be too expensive. The problem is that it is usually a heptahydrate and so you are never getting as much as you think you are. It's more or less half a box of water. Shop around. Garden stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware stores. The cost should not be prohibitive.
Of course, if you need MgCl2 and can access that for roughly the same price then your should buy it directly and save yourself some bother.

I am not sure if buying magnesium chloride is not regulated someway, but if I do that I would get 100 100 mg impure tablets for 18$ or more, & I think that is a bad deal.

bluamine - 22-11-2015 at 12:40

Quote: Originally posted by mario840  
the first reply is probably the best 300g 35% hydrochloric acid and 100 ml H20 warm up and add 90 -100g MgCO3 , easy synthesis readily available

The problem is that I don't really know how can I find magnesium carbonate, & what is it used for

mario840 - 22-11-2015 at 12:53

You wrote : "any available magnesium compounds" I thought MgCO3 you can easily buy, write to what Mg compound you got access ...

aga - 22-11-2015 at 12:55

Google "site:sciencemadness.org whatever-you-are-looking for"

Top answer :

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=10374

[Edited on 22-11-2015 by aga]

diddi - 22-11-2015 at 13:24

the mineral 'magnesite' is pure MgCO3. it is quite common. I have found several pieces in railway ballast. that's about as cheap as it gets.

mario840 - 22-11-2015 at 13:39

Yes you can obtain MgCl2 from magnesite powder but after washing with boiling water couple of times

violet sin - 22-11-2015 at 17:56

personally, I like the epsom salt way. its really cheap, available and the byproduct is useful. Ive seen it for roughly 1$/lb, of course some stores are expensive. so check a couple. I wanted the magnesium hydroxide for refractory and used that method. ended up getting a nice bag of ammonium sulfate for free. after heating the solution, it was filtered when cool to get Mg(OH)2, and I just left the solution in shallow trays in the sun for a day or two. there were quite a few 3/8" crystals in the product. happy lawn

the filtering isn't fast or super fun, but I felt like heating it for a short while and filtering after cool reduced the amount of super fine gunk. still not expedient.

UC235 - 23-11-2015 at 13:36

I've purchased 5lb containers of MgCl2*6H2O for like $2 as driveway deicer.

ave369 - 23-11-2015 at 21:02

As far as I know, magnesium silicate reacts with acids, including hydrochloric, just fine, turning into a gel of silicic acid, and all magnesium going into solution as chloride, nitrate or sulfate.

bluamine - 24-11-2015 at 00:59

Quote: Originally posted by UC235  
I've purchased 5lb containers of MgCl2*6H2O for like $2 as driveway deicer.

I dis not find in any hardware store, but u did find it in pharmacies, so it is expensive there..

bluamine - 24-11-2015 at 01:00

Quote: Originally posted by ave369  
As far as I know, magnesium silicate reacts with acids, including hydrochloric, just fine, turning into a gel of silicic acid, and all magnesium going into solution as chloride, nitrate or sulfate.

I was thinking about that, but I was not sure because of the complicated formula of magnesium silicate Mg3Si4O10(OH)2

[Edited on 24-11-2015 by bluamine]

morsagh - 24-11-2015 at 11:10

For sure chalk that is used for gymnastics is MgCO3, normal chalk for drawing on blackboard is CaCO3.

j_sum1 - 24-11-2015 at 12:09

Quote: Originally posted by morsagh  
For sure chalk that is used for gymnastics is MgCO3, normal chalk for drawing on blackboard is CaCO3.
Or CaSO4. I believe that the sulfate is more common for blackboard chalk.

bluamine - 24-11-2015 at 13:10

Quote: Originally posted by morsagh  
For sure chalk that is used for gymnastics is MgCO3, normal chalk for drawing on blackboard is CaCO3.

I am mocking, but believe me this is the first time I know chalk is used for gymnastics.. I am wondering what can it be used for

karlos³ - 24-11-2015 at 13:17

It is used to dry your palms.
In my country it is even called magnesia as its trivial name, and you use it before using some gymnastic equipment to prevent sliding down on it.

Deathunter88 - 25-11-2015 at 10:54

Quote: Originally posted by karlos³  
It is used to dry your palms.
In my country it is even called magnesia as its trivial name, and you use it before using some gymnastic equipment to prevent sliding down on it.


In my country it is called "magnesium powder" which makes it hard for me to find actual elemental magnesium powder.

bluamine - 27-11-2015 at 01:16

Quote: Originally posted by bluamine  
Quote: Originally posted by morsagh  
For sure chalk that is used for gymnastics is MgCO3, normal chalk for drawing on blackboard is CaCO3.

I am mocking, but believe me this is the first time I know chalk is used for gymnastics.. I am wondering what can it be used for

*I am not (..)

bluamine - 27-11-2015 at 01:24

Quote: Originally posted by karlos³  
It is used to dry your palms.
In my country it is even called magnesia as its trivial name, and you use it before using some gymnastic equipment to prevent sliding down on it.

I remember when i was at high school We used an unknown powder (at that time) before shot put
I checked some sporting good & bought it. It was not that expensive I thought before.
Thank you guys