Concentrated Sulfuric Resistant Glue or Epoxy

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snoman701

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2016
Messages
2,108
Location
SE MI
I have a jacketed pyrex reactor that I would like to use as my sulfuric cell. It gives me one more layer of protection by being able to cap it with a seal, but also allowing me to cool the sulfuric.

One of the hose bibs for the jacket is broken. I took it to a glass blower, he wasn't affordably optimistic that it could be repaired. Given the location of the bib in relation to the jacket / reactor joint, he was concerned about a delamination failure when heating the bib.

I do believe it can be glued. I will cut it clean with diamond, then glue a bib on.

The more I type, the more I'm concerned about water cooling jacket without a hermetic seal given the exothermic reaction of concentrated sulfuric meeting water.

More experienced refiners concur? Or am I overreacting?

I know that using a jacketed pyrex reactor is overkill, but my mentality when anything of this nature is operating is the same as it would be in a plant. Tertiary prevention...I want three failures before I'm in harms way.
 
snoman701 said:
I have a jacketed pyrex reactor that I would like to use as my sulfuric cell. It gives me one more layer of protection by being able to cap it with a seal, but also allowing me to cool the sulfuric.

One of the hose bibs for the jacket is broken. I took it to a glass blower, he wasn't affordably optimistic that it could be repaired. Given the location of the bib in relation to the jacket / reactor joint, he was concerned about a delamination failure when heating the bib.

I do believe it can be glued. I will cut it clean with diamond, then glue a bib on.

The more I type, the more I'm concerned about water cooling jacket without a hermetic seal given the exothermic reaction of concentrated sulfuric meeting water.

More experienced refiners concur? Or am I overreacting?

I know that using a jacketed pyrex reactor is overkill, but my mentality when anything of this nature is operating is the same as it would be in a plant. Tertiary prevention...I want three failures before I'm in harms way.
I have never found a cement or glue that would stand up to concentrated sulfuric acid.
 
Thanks...I'll save this reactor for other uses.

If I find that I really like it (I have others), maybe I'll buck up and pay the glassblower to attempt the repair.
 
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=22603

That link is a great thread where a member made his own water jacketed sulfuric cell.

Its a beast
 
Yup...I've seen that. I've made quite a few similar tanks, but right now my metal shop is in storage. I have to finish the drywall in the garage, then I can move my machine shop.

I'm just banking ideas right now.

I really liked the build, and will likely do something like that in the future, but make it considerably smaller. I am only going to operate one smallish hood, and I want any chemicals to be in the hood. If I really like what I'm doing, I'll build a mini-house refinery. Meaning basically a self contained travel trailer set up for refining. Keeps the taxes low, and gives me the ability to move the whole operation to industrial space should I decide to. I like modular.

For now, glass is universal, and for what I'm paying for this stuff, will retain it's value. The broken reactor was free. The identical one, non-broken cost me $30. The guy I'm buying it from asked me three questions...you aren't cooking meth? Are you reselling the glass? Is it hobby use? When I told him what I was doing, his answer was actually pretty interesting...."I've wanted to do the same thing, but I won't touch the acids".

The only thing I'm picky about is that my system HAS to drain from the bottom. I refuse to carry around open containers of acid...and I don't like siphoning.
 
Maybe when you get your shop up and running, you could fabricate one that is angled a bit at the bottom and then has a recessed flat bottom, where you could capture the sludge. Then at the end of that angle, before and above the flat spot (a tray almost?) to hold the sludge, you could have a bung/valve installed so you could drain off the majority of acid and leave the solids undisturbed.
-I've seen silver cells designed that way, so they could scrap the crystals aside and keep it running without a short.

I know i explained that horribly, when I go back inside I can sketch up what I'm thinking of exactly.

Im not sure what material would be the best bet for that valve though. Hot sulfuric is quite the demon.

Where there is a will, there is a way!
 
Which is the exact reason I like glass. Valves in concentrated sulfuric are going to fail...even in industry valves are replaced as a preventative maintenance measure, and that's with ceramic coatings! It's just a matter of when.

If I had a constant, and huge supply of plated pins or plated ware in general, absolutely...steel wouldn't be of question. But it's a lot easier for me to go with a simple glass system that cleans up nicely and goes back in to storage when done.
 
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