Lead Acetate soaked filter dissolved Al foil & grew coral like crystals

Here they are. The "crystals" look like very small coral and they are soft and mushy and fall off very easily. the filter is still pretty moist, so I'm sure they are drawing moisture from it.


I didn't have my camera before and didn't want to turn it over b/c the growths fall off so easily. The bottom color looks very much like lead, though it could be Al that has adhered to the filter.

I've tried adding some Al to three different solutions of PbOAc and acetic acid and H2O2 to see if it replicates.

So I did a test with 3 test tubes, one with vinegar and H2O2, one with solid lead acetate crystals after drying/evaporating & one with a solution of lead acetate before it was boiled down though I don't know how concentrated it is, probably about 80% saturated at room temp.

I put about 3ml in each test tube and placed a small ball and strip of Al foil, about 4cm x 4cm total size in each tube, and allowed it to sit. Eventually the tube with the solution started to produce very beautiful crystals of what can only be lead and it looks like it might be a way to make a Tree of Saturn without using Zinc (and shape the tree using Al foil!). The tube with the vinegar and H2O2 did dissolve some of the foil it seems or it precipitated lead, it is difficult to tell though when I first noticed particles in the solution, I did see some flakes, not a fine powder.

So I am wondering if this could be a route of making Aluminum diacetate or possibly the triacetate, which seems like it may be somewhat difficult to make without acetic anhydride. The Wiki does show that it can be made by a aluminium sulfate solution mixed with lead acetate, giving the Al triacetate and PbSO4.

I'll have to try this with a larger amount so that I can dry the result and determine if it is the di or tri acetate.

Here are some pics of the pure lead crystals growing and the Al foil dissolving (or at least I think it is the foil dissolving).



Here are some pictures of what is happening.
These are as I spun the test tube


vinegar & H2O2 solution


[Edited on 2-16-2018 by RogueRose]

Quote: Originally posted by RogueRose

So I am wondering if this could be a route of making Aluminum diacetate or possibly the triacetate, which seems like it may be somewhat difficult to make without acetic anhydride. The Wiki does show that it can be made by a aluminium sulfate solution mixed with lead acetate, giving the Al triacetate and PbSO4. I'll have to try this with a larger amount so that I can dry the result and determine if it is the di or tri acetate.

Quote: Originally posted by Diachrynic

Quote: Originally posted by RogueRose   So I am wondering if this could be a route of making Aluminum diacetate or possibly the triacetate, which seems like it may be somewhat difficult to make without acetic anhydride. The Wiki does show that it can be made by a aluminium sulfate solution mixed with lead acetate, giving the Al triacetate and PbSO4. I'll have to try this with a larger amount so that I can dry the result and determine if it is the di or tri acetate. Great pictures! Reading Wikipedia it seems that aluminium triacetate hydrolyzes with water - so, maybe it is already decomposed into aluminium diactetate? Also, could the double displacement also work with calcium acetate? The sulfate would leave the acetate in solution, I guess. That is just speculation though.