Question about H2SO3

[dttom]

Is there any simple way to turn sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid? I mean the simple one, not so complicated that can be done at home...

[YT2095]

yeah, add Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2).

[dttom]

Are the products H2O and H2SO4?

[YT2095]

that`s about right, yup

[budullewraagh]

hehe, i'd say it would be H3O+ and HSO4-

[dttom]

Another question: is sulphur slightly soluble and form some alkaline solution?

Non-metals usually form acidic compounds, but why when I add water to sulphur and test the pH of the liquid from the liquid-sulphur mixture and I get a blue colour?

[woelen]

Sulphur is totally insoluble in water and it does not affect the pH of water. It might be that some impurity in the sulphur causes the rise of pH, it might also be that the water is slightly alkaline.

 

Sulphur can be dissolved in hot NaOH-solution. In that case, the element disproportionates, part of it being converted to sulfide and another part being converted to thiosulfate and sulfite.

[jdurg]

Sulphur can be dissolved in hot NaOH-solution. In that case, the element disproportionates, part of it being converted to sulfide and another part being converted to thiosulfate and sulfite.

 

 

Hmmm. I wasn't aware of this. Would this be a viable way to make some sodium sulfite from some drain cleaner and gardening sulfur, or are the yields too poor and the sulfide and thiosulfate interfere in whatever you'd use the sulfite for? (I.E. reducing selenium ions).

[woelen]

Hmmm. I wasn't aware of this. Would this be a viable way to make some sodium sulfite from some drain cleaner and gardening sulfur, or are the yields too poor and the sulfide and thiosulfate interfere in whatever you'd use the sulfite for? (I.E. reducing selenium ions).

Yes, the yield of sulfite is very poor. The main reaction products are thiosulfate and sulfide and a sulfite is just the result of a side reaction.

 

Having sulfide and thiosulfite as reductor is not good. Both of these result in formation of elementary sulphur (thiosulfate gives sulphur and sulphur dioxide in acid) and sulfide gives sulphur when it is oxidized. Separating this sulphur from the selenium will be a real pain if you do not have CS2 at hand.

[YT2095]

Sulphur can be dissolved in hot NaOH-solution. In that case, the element disproportionates, part of it being converted to sulfide and another part being converted to thiosulfate and sulfite.

 

actualy that`s the same method I used a year or so back to make the precursor for Zinc Sulphide, I got my Zinc Sulphide perfectly, but it did NOT Glow-in-the-dark as hoped

 

another interesting action of Sodium Sulphide is that it changes color with temperature, from a light yellow to a deep red/brown

[jsatan]

actualy that`s the same method I used a year or so back to make the precursor for Zinc Sulphide' date=' I got my Zinc Sulphide perfectly, but it did NOT Glow-in-the-dark as hoped

 

another interesting action of Sodium Sulphide is that it changes color with temperature, from a light yellow to a deep red/brown [/quote']

 

hummm I think Barium sulphate (or sulphide) is meant to glow in the darks as well, but I think its something to do with the phosphorus in with it.

[YT2095]

well the sulphate batch I made doesn`t, nor does the carbonate with the sulphide imputities in it (I`ve tried it) and even tried UV exposure too, Nada.

 

I think it`ll be like the Zinc Sulphide I made, it`s too pure, and requires an impurity to "Activate" it, I think Copper is used in ZnS to make it "work".

I tried that too, but didn`t know the method and it`s also not exactly Googleable (my new word) either

[jsatan]

well the sulphate batch I made doesn`t' date=' nor does the carbonate with the sulphide imputities in it (I`ve tried it) and even tried UV exposure too, Nada.

 

I think it`ll be like the Zinc Sulphide I made, it`s too pure, and requires an impurity to "Activate" it, I think Copper is used in ZnS to make it "work".

I tried that too, but didn`t know the method and it`s also not exactly Googleable (my new word) either [/quote']

lol, yeah I read something about copper as well.

I'll see if I can find any info,

sounds fun to me,

BTW will a bleach (house) bottle hold sulphuric acid?

I'm going to go to the pharmacists down my street and ask for some of their old lotions bottle they keep in the cellar, I worked there a while back.

[YT2095]

yes, a Bleach bottle will hold it just fine, as long as it`s cleaned 100% first.

[woelen]

yes, a Bleach bottle will hold it just fine, as long as it`s cleaned 100% first.

Are you sure? I had a bottle of sulphuric acid with just a standard flimsy plastic screwcap. The bottle itself was made of glass. After a few months I noticed that the cap was totally eaten away, the acid had absorbed moisture from the air and the level of the liquid had risen considerably (it almost flew over the rim!).

 

I would suggest to take a glass bottle and use a thick plastic cap. At the drugstore, where I buy my acids, both 30% HCl and 52% HNO3 are sold in soft plastic bottles with ordinary screwcaps, but the 96% H2SO4 is sold in glass bottles with a heavy duty several mm thick screwcap.

[YT2095]

positive, I have a bottle in my shed that`s been there for over 2 years now, I actualy had to get some out of it on Saturday to re-fill my glass bottle that`s kept in the lab, I also have 3 litres of it in a plastic soda bottle too, that`s nearly 5 years old now, no decay at all, the acid conc is 35%.

 

I stock anything above this in glass though, never in plastic.

[jsatan]

positive' date=' I have a bottle in my shed that`s been there for over 2 years now, I actualy had to get some out of it on Saturday to re-fill my glass bottle that`s kept in the lab, I also have 3 litres of it in a plastic soda bottle too, that`s nearly 5 years old now, no decay at all, the acid conc is 35%.

 

I stock anything above this in glass though, never in plastic.[/quote']

lol that sound just like what I'm wanting to do.

When I was in coventry I had trouble finding any S-acid with out buying in bulk so I just left it for the time being.

I put the feelers out for old car batts and before 2 weeks is up I've got 4.

I'll be keeping the % low I'll boil it up when I need to,

[YT2095]

yeah, don`t store it as conc, the acid can be a little unpredictable with at those levels, battery conc is fine in those sorts of plastics, AND you have the added advantage that most bleach bottles have a sucurity cap on them too, but I`de still label it clearly to avoid mistakes, you don`t want someone adding it to the Final Rinse in your washing machine beleiving it was Bleach!

[jsatan]

yeah, don`t store it as conc, the acid can be a little unpredictable with at those levels, battery conc is fine in those sorts of plastics, AND you have the added advantage that most bleach bottles have a sucurity cap on them too, but I`de still label it clearly to avoid mistakes, you don`t want someone adding it to the Final Rinse in your washing machine beleiving it was Bleach!

 

Points finger at mum and GF.

lol.

Yeah I always lable my things.