New way to make thermite?? Seriously, you should look

[frosch45]

Please respond, do you think that this is possible....

 

oh and by the way, i'm not some freak that thinks explosions are cool or fire is fun to play with, but this is very interesting...

 

2Al (s) + 6HCl (aq) ..(yields).. 2AlCl3 (aq) + 3H2 (g)

 

so you get aluminum chloride, (performed in an ice bath) right?

 

then

 

 

2AlCl3 (aq) Electrolysis using iron cathodes and anodes

 

2AlCl3 (aq) …. 2 Al (s at cathode) + 3 Cl (g at anode) + 2H (g at cathode) + Fe2O3 (s at both of the poles)

 

and then let the excess water evaporate

 

things to consider

1) would this even work

2) would the ratios be correct

3) you would have to keep scrubbing the cathode and anode to rub off the Fe2O3

4) nothing else would be produced right?

5) is there an ideal temperature?

[Darkblade48]

I don't understand something; if you are trying to make ferric oxide, would it not be easier to produce it in other manners?

[insane_alien]

1/ it would produce the chemicals, yes.

2/ no

3/ probably not

4/ it is likely other reactions would take place(ie. iron chloride would be produced)

5/ not particularly

 

this is still a very energy intensive way of doing it. it is not a good method. you start of with raw aluminium and then react it and have to electrolyse it. and then you are electrolysing to make Fe2O3

 

not good. much easier ways to do it. especially as you will have to scrape the Al of the electrode and grind it up anyway.

[jake8]

In my experience, electrolysis of aluminum chloride with iron anodes produces aluminum on one side and chlorine on the other, which would swiftly react with the iron to make iron chloride (probably hexahydrate). Not much, if any, iron oxide would be made, since there is no oxygen ion in the reaction (the water is probably not undergoing electrolysis if the aluminum chloride is). However, your query brings up another interesting reaction.

Normal thermite:

Fe2O3 + 2Al --> Al2O3 + 2Fe + Lots of energy

But wouldn't this reaction generate even more energy if an anion more reactive than the oxide ion were used? Say, chloride?

Does anyone know if this would work?

FeCl3 + Al --> AlCl3 + Fe + ?Energy?

Just wondering.

If you want a faster way to make iron chloride, just react hydrochloric acid with Iron, or, even better, put sodium chloride (rock salt) through electrolysis with iron anodes.

Another question:

Does anyone have a really great, fast way of evaporating water out of a solution? Leaving the solution outside is slow and I don't wany get chemicals in the microwave and I don't have a hot plate.

So far, the best i've got is a haridryer. Suggestions?

[ars3n]

First of all, why the heck would you even do this,

start with aluminum, oxidize it with chlorine then reduce it back to aluminum, OMG...

 

At any rate, electrolysis of AlCl3 has to be done at molten state (you CANNOT electrolyse aqueous AlCl3).

 

AlCl3 is hard to melt without evaporating it at the same time, so you prolly need either to control the temperature acrefully, adding some flux, or doing it under pressure or a comination of those.

 

On and alstly when you mix HCl (aq) with Al, even after evaporating it CAREFULLY, you'll still get AlCl3.xH2O and if you keep heating it up you'll end up with hydrolisi reaction so you get a mix of Al(OH)xCly.zH2O (still!).

 

One way to make anhydrous AlCl3 is by reacting Al with DRY HCl.