Isospropol alcool & Nitric acid

[goldsilverpro]

Every once in awhile, in the literature, you'll read a procedure that uses alcohol to eliminate nitrogen oxides from aqua regia. Besides the possible explosiveness of doing this, I never liked using it. I hated the smell and the sputtering reaction. The only thing I used alcohol for was to quick-dry gold powder.

 

[dbrick81]

Just one more thought... I know a lot of people use the sulfuric acid drain cleaner for prosesing and refining PM's. If you plan to use it to make nitric acid be very careful and reed the MSDS or the ingredients if they are listed on the container. I know at less one suppliers brand in my area has 5% Ethelin glycol added to it for what reason I don't know. But I'm sure Irons would agree with me when I say this could make for a bad situation :shock: But any way just one more reason to double and triple check things.

 

[Irons]

Ehelyne Glycol Dinitrate

Used as a substitute for Nitrglycerine in Dynamite and SLBM rocket fuel.

Hot stuff.

It might be better to use battery acid which is free of buffers and such additives.

EGDN will put you in orbit if you're not careful.

 

[Lou]

It's also more stable than nitroglycerin, and has a lower VOD and is less brisant. Also less prone to the hazards of being acidic. Still, good information both of you, that's important to note!!!

I wouldn't worry about it terribly: with a few exceptions, esterifications that produce a nitro ester require sulfuric acid to remove the water formed as the alcohol (hydroxy) groups are replaced by the NO2. There are exceptions to the rule, but it's all determined by equilibrium.

General rule is just to keep alcohols away from nitric acid, or any oxidizers in general.

 

[Irons]

Is where someone adds excess sulfuric acid when making Nitric then distills it down to make it concentrated.
If you concentrate your Nitric by distillation and notice what looks like an oily liquid floating on the surface,or the acid looks cloudy, I would be concerned.

 

[Silver]

EGDN also has a lower freezing point than NG making it safer to use in cold weather. Frozen NG is not very sensitive but partially frozen it is extremely dangerous and many accidents happed when melting frozen NG. NG "ice cubes" collide in the liquid NG and that easily causes detonation.

 

[Irons]

Commercial explosives tend to be very stable because they are made under controlled conditions and tested to ensure stability. Explosive compounds made accidentally as part of reagent manufacture for dissolving Precious Metals may not be that stable.

Remember, It's not the big one that gets you, it's the little pop that blows hot, corrosive material in your face and ruins your day or worse.

 

[Silver]

I agree.

 

[eagle2]

In the field of small pops and safety, it would be good to mention again, the problem of `bumping`.

Bumping happens when you have a heavy precip on the bottom, like gold, and your washing it by boiling with an acid (dilute H2SO4?).

I`m sure the experienced refiners know this, its the new refiner that might when he hears the first bump, bend over the beaker to see whats happening. That`s when the next pop gets him.

A good piece of lab equipment to have is a watch glass on the beaker.
Stirring stops bumping and leaving the stirring rod in the beaker with the watch glass on, also helps some.

Al

 

[Anonymous]

The reddish-brown gas observed is nitrogen dioxide. It is very often seen in reactions involving nitric acid, and during the purification of nitric acid. Even so, nitrogen dioxide is a very toxic gas that cause fatal lung injury with even a couple of good size breaths. When you're using nitric acid in leaching or other PGM operations, assume that nitrogen dioxide will be produced as well. Ventilate your work area and wear a suitable respirator. Very cheap insurance, if you ask me.

As for what happens when isopropanol is mixed with nitric acid, the results will vary with temperatures and so forth, but almost surely, very toxic and explosive compounds will be produced. AVOID mixing isopropanol and nitric acid unless you have a specific chemical objective, and know exactly what you're doing. At temperatures and conditions typical of metal refining, such mixtures are dangerous and improper.

 

[aflacglobal]

Welcome Contrablue