Detonationology
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Household Ammonia
I recently purchased some "Clear Ammonia" from my local Walmart. The liquid was certainly clear and came in a HDPE jug. No concentration was listed
on the container. Upon transferring to a beaker, I noticed some colorful bubbles floating on the surface, similar to suds from dishwashing soap. Is
this solution pure NH4OH, or is there some kind of soap that is added? The so very reliable MSDS did not list anything other than 1-10%
NH4OH and water for a similar brand of "clear ammonia", because I struggled to find the MSDS for the Walmart brand. I don't have much experience with
ammonia; I've never used it as a cleaning product.
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Tsjerk
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If you have an acid of known concentration and some kind of indicator you could at least determine the concentration within a % orso.
For the soap part, maybe you can try to boil down the solution significantly and see if the foaming becomes stronger? Most detergents shouldn't
evaporate. I don't remember ever seeing foam on ammonia though, and I always got nice clean crystals whenever I made a salt with mine (also
supermarket bought).
Maybe making some ammonium chloride could tell. The stoichiometry doesn't matter to much in this as both precursors will evaporate when in excess.
When your product turns out as nice white, sheet like crystals, I wouldn't worry.
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Praxichys
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If it is any of the following brands of "clear ammonia":
Ahold, Always Save, Americas Choice, Supervalu, Everyday Living, First Street, Giant, Great Value, Hannaford, Home 360, Home Remedy Plus, Homelife,
Hy-Top, Kroger Home Sense, Laura Lynn, Market Basket, Miejer, Walgreens, Parade, Price Rite, Propride, Publix, Pure Bright, Raley, Ralphs Home Sense,
Red Max, Shoprite, Stater Bros, Stop N Shop, Sunny Select, Topjob, Wegmans, Western Family, Western Family Shurfine, Fred Meyer, Food Club, DG Home,
Sunbrite
(This includes the vast majority of domestic grocery-store ammonia)
It is made by KIK products, and the MSDS is here:
http://sds.chemtel.net/docs/KIK%20International%20Inc-000290...
I wouldn't get it. It's less than 3% ammonia, and contains surfactants.
A much better choice is ACE Hardware "Janitor Strength" ammonia. If you have an ACE in your area, go there. I get this stuff all the time. It's 10%
ammonia in plain water.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/attachment.php?attachme...
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Detonationology
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My goal is to make various ammonium salts, so it will be necessary to evaporate all of the liquid away. I wanted to insure that there would be no
soaps that would contaminate the final product. The light refracting off the foam appeared similar to petrol on wet pavement; very colorful, mostly
blue, purple and green hues.
“There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference.” ― William James
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Sulaiman
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You could boil off the NH3 from your OTC source
and collect it in water for contamination free ammonia solution.
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Detonationology
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Quote: Originally posted by Praxichys  | If it is any of the following brands of "clear ammonia":
Ahold, Always Save, Americas Choice, Supervalu, Everyday Living, First Street, Giant, Great Value, Hannaford, Home 360, Home Remedy Plus, Homelife,
Hy-Top, Kroger Home Sense, Laura Lynn, Market Basket, Miejer, Walgreens, Parade, Price Rite, Propride, Publix, Pure Bright, Raley, Ralphs Home Sense,
Red Max, Shoprite, Stater Bros, Stop N Shop, Sunny Select, Topjob, Wegmans, Western Family, Western Family Shurfine, Fred Meyer, Food Club, DG Home,
Sunbrite
(This includes the vast majority of domestic grocery-store ammonia)
It is made by KIK products, and the MSDS is here:
http://sds.chemtel.net/docs/KIK%20International%20Inc-000290...
I wouldn't get it. It's less than 3% ammonia, and contains surfactants.
A much better choice is ACE Hardware "Janitor Strength" ammonia. If you have an ACE in your area, go there. I get this stuff all the time. It's 10%
ammonia in plain water.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/attachment.php?attachme... |
Thanks Doug,
This is exactly what I have been searching for 
The Walmart brand clear ammonia isn't completely useless. For less than a dollar, you can get a 1/2 gallon (1.86L) HDPE container 
“There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference.” ― William James
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Bert
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Mood: " I think we are all going to die. I think that love is an illusion. We are flawed, my darling".
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Blueprint developer. 27%. $17.00/gallon delivered. No soap, dye or perfume...
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
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Detonationology
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Link please.
“There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference.” ― William James
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