Sulphuric Boil Mustard Sludge

[chrishawn]

Hi everyone, I just finished boiling down my spent sulphuric acid to remove the water and after pouring off the pure acid there is a mustard colored sludge at the bottom. Does anyone one know what it might be. Oh ya when i added water to the sludge the bottom of my container started getting hot, this made me real courious. I did test with stanious and it is negative.
Thanks to you all for your help in the past and future.Please excuse my spelling if its wrong. :roll:

 

[Harold_V]

Pouring water in any material suspected of being sulfuric acid is not a wise trick. Given enough acid present, you could create a steam explosion, throwing the material on your body. You risk being blinded, or serious chemical burns.

If you must test things like that, remove a small portion and do your testing in a small beaker or test tube. Always introduce the material to water, never water to the material, if you suspect there's sulfuric acid involved.

Harold

 

[arthur kierski]

the sludge might have pms in it in metalic form---if so stanous will not show any collour

 

[chrishawn]

Thanks Harold,
The facts of what happened are, after my boil down cooled off completly
i poured off my acid and the mustared sludge was on the bottom, i then poured the sludge into one of my other jars and used my spray bottle w/tap water to rinse the sludge into the jar afterwards the jar was warm on the bottom. I will be more carefull when adding anything.
And to Arther kierski you got me real courious i hope it is pms ill let you know after i test it
Thanks again everyone

 

[chrishawn]

Well now to my suprise there is gold in this sludge. I ran a small sample of it in hcl/cl bubbled out clorine and dropped with smb it took awile but is now showing gold dropping, Thanks to Arthur i found more gold in solution. Its weired it didnot test with stanious. Thanks you for responding