Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Copper nitrate and copper compounds

NEMO-Chemistry - 21-8-2016 at 11:03

Hi
I have watched a video that might solve a problem for me.

Namely using HNO3 to oxidise? Cu, i dont want to do it outside because we have nothing but rain ATM and i dont have a fume hood.

In the video the copper was reacted? with the Nitric acid in one flask and the NOx was lead by glass tube down into another with water in.

The second flask was loosely sealed with glass wool around the top, when the gas reached the water in the second flask it dissolved.

The bit i liked was when it got sucked backed it cleared the original flask of gas and the solution went a lighter blue.

It seems a safer way to get Copper into a solution that can then be used to make other Copper compounds.

What do people think of this as a method of working with Conc Nitric acid and copper? I thought it provided a good way to handle the gas.

I am after copper sulphate and carbonate. I have collected a fair bit of copper waste and have the Nitric acid, so i see it as a good way to gather copper compounds.

I prefer to neutralize fumes rather than release them when i can.

DraconicAcid - 21-8-2016 at 11:22

If you don't want to deal with nitrogen oxides, oxidize your copper with hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Or, just leave copper and hydrochloric acid exposed to air for an extended period of time.

NEMO-Chemistry - 21-8-2016 at 11:51

I might try both, although getting Hydrogen peroxide is a PITA for me so air it is with the HCl.

I really liked the speed of the nitric acid and it seemed a good way to negate the fumes.

Having worked out how to get papers from sci hub i am after Copper Asprinate (excuse the name), and i have found one for extracting Ibuprofen and complexing with copper.

I got carried away and thought i would try Paracetamol as well, only to discover it dosnt work! Apparently paracetamol dosnt like copper much.

PHILOU Zrealone - 21-8-2016 at 12:37

Use Cu, vinegar and air or H2O2...to get emerald green Cu(O2C-CH3)2 (copper (II) acetate).

Or use Cu, NH4OH and air or H2O2...to get saphire blue Cu(NH3)4(OH)2

XeonTheMGPony - 21-8-2016 at 12:59

I just used dilute HNO3 and H2O2 at 35% and next to no NO2 fumes at all, my target was just copper nitrate to experiment with

On second though with more care full reflection I did get very small amounts of NO2 but hardly enough to worry me.

[Edited on 21-8-2016 by XeonTheMGPony]

DraconicAcid - 21-8-2016 at 13:35

In a pinch, you can use any acid, along with salt (for chloride ions), any soluble copper salt, and exposure to air. In the presence of chloride, copper(II) ions will react with copper metal to give dichlorocuprate(I) ions, which diffuse to the surface of the solution and react with air (in the presence of acid) to give water and copper(II) chloride. As the concentration of copper in solution increases, so does the rate of reaction.

NEMO-Chemistry - 21-8-2016 at 13:47

Thats interesting, i will try this on multiple small scales to see what happens.

I was also tempted to try Ferric chloride, but i guess you get Iron contamination. Copper is pretty interesting, i would like to try and get copper (I) and Copper (IV) Oxide as well.

zwt - 21-8-2016 at 15:26

Quote: Originally posted by NEMO-Chemistry  
I got carried away and thought i would try Paracetamol as well, only to discover it dosnt work! Apparently paracetamol dosnt like copper much.
Here's an idea. Can you get "naproxen" (probably has a different name in the UK)? This is usually sold as the sodium salt. Making the copper salt should* be as easy as combining it in solution with a soluble copper salt -or- reacting the sodium salt with an acid, and then the insoluble free acid with copper hydroxide; depending on how soluble the copper salt is. Transition metal salts of naproxen seem less researched than aspirinates.

*I haven't tried this (yet)

NEMO-Chemistry - 21-8-2016 at 16:08

Quote: Originally posted by zwt  
Quote: Originally posted by NEMO-Chemistry  
I got carried away and thought i would try Paracetamol as well, only to discover it dosnt work! Apparently paracetamol dosnt like copper much.
Here's an idea. Can you get "naproxen" (probably has a different name in the UK)? This is usually sold as the sodium salt. Making the copper salt should* be as easy as combining it in solution with a soluble copper salt -or- reacting the sodium salt with an acid, and then the insoluble free acid with copper hydroxide; depending on how soluble the copper salt is. Transition metal salts of naproxen seem less researched than aspirinates.

*I haven't tried this (yet)


Difficult one, chem spider shows it as boots (the chemist) period pain relief OTC, but the boots website says it contains ibuprofen. The naproxen one dosnt seem available.

Llyods pharmacy in UK lists it but says its gastric coated and dosnt say sodium salt, it also wants a prescription (that isnt too hard to get a private one).

So i might be able to get the normal one but probably not the sodium salt. It also looks like vets use it, but thats not an option, vets here charge mad money for simple drugs.

I should be able to track it down, i notice its a NIASD. Which makes me wonder which other NSAID's could be used as many are OTC here.

I know its slightly mad but i like the idea of unusual copper compounds. Copper ibuprofen also seems to be used for treating wood as a preservative.

Once copper is complete as far as i can i like the idea of cobalt ones.

I done alot of simple experiments the last two weeks, before i do much more i would like to post them up as i have a few pics as well, the experiments are dead simple and mainly pointless except as practice for getting around a few problems i encountered.

I figure if i post up my notes and pics then people can comment on how to improve my notes and experiments. My current problem is i need to catch up with writing up the things i have done!

The calcium chloride from shells was a bit of a mare, but i got around the problems i was having using what i have to hand.

Obviously when read its obvious i took some long meandering routes but i have included notes on why i chose the options i took.

No one gets excited about shells to calcium carbonate, but i ended up with calcium chloride, calcium sulphate and calcium nitrate.

I had to think around a few problems i came across and it was good experience in the end.

The chloride i havnt solidified yet (long story), but i did learn that you dont have to get it neutral! I found that heating it once it had reached Ph 4-5 got rid of the excess HCl (confirmed by wet litmus over the flask) and the Ph shot up to around 8, which i think is the Ph of the hydrate.

Filtering the crap out was tough as it was too fine for my filter (pore size 4), so i ended up turning some to sulphate so i could filter the solid and let the fine crap pass through.

Anyway its worth posting up what i did so i can get feedback on how to improve my reporting style!

For the future i discovered oyster shells are roughly 98% calcium carbonate and the rest Silicon stuff.

Other shells seem to have alot more impurities in them.

[Edited on 22-8-2016 by NEMO-Chemistry]

NEMO-Chemistry - 21-8-2016 at 16:20

Scrub the above! I seem to have found it, not sure if its a rip off site but the price is alot lower than normal chemists. It also says its the sodium salt.

http://www.discounthealthproducts.co.uk/naproxen_sodium.htm