Potassium chlorate instead of sodium chlorate?

[dbrick81]

Can you use Potassium chlorate instead of sodium chlorate to precipitate palladium?

 

[lazersteve]

Brick,

The accepted answer is no.

Potassium Chlorate is not as good for this work as sodium chlorate, but it can be used if you cannot get the sodium chlorate.

Lou and Irons have pointed out that straight chlorine gas is effective for precipitating Palladium from solutions after adding the ammonium chloride. I have tested this using bleach to produce the chlorine and it works.

Steve

 

[jaun]

Can I ad the bleach directly to the solution after adding ammonium chloride

 

[lazersteve]

Adding liquid bleach adds more water which eventually prevents the palladium complex from precipitating due to it's water solubility. I've done it and it works to make small clouds of the palladium complex, but dry sodium chlorate doesn't have this problem and works more completely.

It is a good initial test to see if your hot concentrated solution has any Pd in it after precipitating the Pt, without using stannous or sodium chlorate. A drop of bleach in the hot concentrated solution will produce a red cloud if you have Pd in the hot concentrated solution. If this test is positive, move on to adding your sodium chlorate in very small amounts (a few crystals at one time).

Steve

 

[jaun]

Will calcium hypochlorite work (pool chlorine granules 700g/kg calcium hypochlorite) What will the calcium do? I added some granules to HCL and there was a lot of fizzing and strong chlorine gas. I guess the calcium will be a problem??

 

[jaun]

?? Anyone? :shock:

 

[lazersteve]

Mix a 5% solution and you should be fine or alternately add very small amounts of the dry powder to produce chlorine. I haven't tried it, but it should work. The Calcium may cause some issues, let us know. If you are seeing chlorine gas then you are adding too much. You should only see a slight fizzing. Lots of stirring and plenty of time for the generated chlorine to react will be very important.


Steve

 

[jaun]

Thanks Steve, I will let you know what happens. I hope it works; cause pool chlorine granules are much cheaper and more available than sodium chlorate.

 

[jaun]

Well, it worked! I got a red-maroon precipitant and was left with a green-brown solution, the same as the picture Steve posted on Pd precipitation and Pd video. I used the dry pool chlorine granules. I tested the solution afterwards with bleach and no red cloud formed. So I guess it worked quite well

 

[lazersteve]

Juan,

You should test with stannous to be sure.


Steve