Galaxy419
Well-known member
I made some poor mans nitric and have a lot of salts left over. I was thinking of distilling it. How do I know when reaction is done when distilling? Will I have just salts left over in reaction flask?
Distilling homemade nitric
- Thread starter Galaxy419
- Start date
Help Support Gold Refining Forum:
upcyclist
Well-known member
First off, I would never try distilling nitric acid unless I was darn sure I had the proper equipment, facilities, and training.
That being said, have you tried chilling it? The salts are much less soluble than the acid at 0°C, and you can decant off (or filter) your acid. For more info, have a look at this thread.
That being said, have you tried chilling it? The salts are much less soluble than the acid at 0°C, and you can decant off (or filter) your acid. For more info, have a look at this thread.
Galaxy419
Well-known member
Yes I did chill to 0 deg Celsius let sit over night. And I do have all glass distillation. My yield just seems low when I make poor man nitric. I followed the recipe that I found on the forum. I was going to use on gold filled. Thank you for your advice.
Distilling nitric is not hard, there are safety precautions you must consider.
Since you have a lab distilling rig. you will need to treat it properly (study using the glass ware distilling rig).
I distill solutions in my homemade rigs.
I have written a little bit on the subject of distilling nitric, giving some safety tips and things to take precautions of when distilling.
The type and proper use of glassware in very important.
Study distilling from as many sources as you can find.
One main dangers, which comes to mind, is sucking back cold liquid into a boiling hot glass vessel full of acids, The cold solution hitting the hot glass and the glass shatters full of acid... Controlling heat, not lowering the heat on the pressure vessel until after you have broken the vacuum.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=6199&hilit=killing+two+birds+one+stone
Since you have a lab distilling rig. you will need to treat it properly (study using the glass ware distilling rig).
I distill solutions in my homemade rigs.
I have written a little bit on the subject of distilling nitric, giving some safety tips and things to take precautions of when distilling.
The type and proper use of glassware in very important.
Study distilling from as many sources as you can find.
One main dangers, which comes to mind, is sucking back cold liquid into a boiling hot glass vessel full of acids, The cold solution hitting the hot glass and the glass shatters full of acid... Controlling heat, not lowering the heat on the pressure vessel until after you have broken the vacuum.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=6199&hilit=killing+two+birds+one+stone
Galaxy419
Well-known member
I have been reading an studying distilling an I have used it to distill H20. I know that is not the same as nitric. But I did it to become familiar with the process an set up. I have read butcher post killing 2 birds with one stone,many times. My one question is can I distill the left over salts from poor mans nitric. Or is the reaction depleted? I searched the forum an couldn't find an answer. Thanks everybody for your advice am time!!
Topher_osAUrus
Well-known member
The products can indeed be reused.
I believe lazersteve mentions it in his cold nitric thread, referring to it as "going full circle" (i believe)
You just use the salts from cold nitric, and convert them to sodium nitrate again with calcium nitrate, then begin the process over again. With the byproduct of that conversion being calcium sulphate (gypsum).
Edit to add: obviously there is more to it than that... I will try to find the bookmark
I believe lazersteve mentions it in his cold nitric thread, referring to it as "going full circle" (i believe)
You just use the salts from cold nitric, and convert them to sodium nitrate again with calcium nitrate, then begin the process over again. With the byproduct of that conversion being calcium sulphate (gypsum).
Edit to add: obviously there is more to it than that... I will try to find the bookmark
Byproducts of reactions.
Writing out the formula, balancing the equation, looking at the product, and the byproduct of the reaction.
2NaNO3 + H2SO4 --> 2HNO3 + Na2SO4 (sodium sulfate)
2KNO3 + H2SO4 --> 2HNO3 + K2SO4 (potassium sulfate)
These sulfates can be used as byproducts (although not many uses for these in recovery).
NaNO3 + H2SO4 --> HNO3 + NaHSO4 (Sodium bisulfate)
KNO3 + H2SO4 --> HNO3 + KHSO4 (potassium bisulfate)
These sulfates are more useful, in many reactions can be used as a substitute for sulfuric acid...
In recovery or refining, we will have byproducts of waste or sometimes a source of a useful reagent...
Writing out the formula, balancing the equation, looking at the product, and the byproduct of the reaction.
2NaNO3 + H2SO4 --> 2HNO3 + Na2SO4 (sodium sulfate)
2KNO3 + H2SO4 --> 2HNO3 + K2SO4 (potassium sulfate)
These sulfates can be used as byproducts (although not many uses for these in recovery).
NaNO3 + H2SO4 --> HNO3 + NaHSO4 (Sodium bisulfate)
KNO3 + H2SO4 --> HNO3 + KHSO4 (potassium bisulfate)
These sulfates are more useful, in many reactions can be used as a substitute for sulfuric acid...
In recovery or refining, we will have byproducts of waste or sometimes a source of a useful reagent...
