Simple Experiment

[liebig]

ok, you can correct me if im wrong here i go.

 

Household drain cleaner usually has a 90-94% sulfuric acid content, the rest is some water, i dilute the sulfuric acid making it a stronger acid.

 

dilute sulfuric acid reacts with Zinc making one bi-product Hydrogen, so if i was to have a balloon over the zinc, when i pour the dilute sulfuric acid on it, will it not make the balloon fill?

[insane_alien]

...i dilute the sulfuric acid making it a stronger acid.

 

uhhh no. just no. the pH will increase. this is lowering the acidity of it.

 

yes you would be able to fill the balloon. it would be quicker with concentrated acid though.

 

some drain cleaners are caustic though. not acids.

[scotchlady]

Hello,

 

http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/liquidplumr/liquid-plumr.pdf

http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/liquidplumr/professionalstrengthliquidplumrgel0106.pdf

http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/liquidplumr/professionalstrengthliquidplumrclogremoverremover.pdf

 

Liquid Plumber products do not have sulfuric acid in them...the "featured ingredient" in them is NaOH. So, if you were to try to use that product your balloon filling experiment would not work.

[insane_alien]

that is one type of drain cleaner.

 

there are types that are primarily sulphuric acid.

[liebig]

ok, so should i concentrate it then?

take the drain cleaner to boiling so it boils away the water and other impurity's?

and then try to make it react with zinc for hydrogen?

 

what other bi-products will be made along with hydrogen when the 2 react?

[thedarkshade]

[ce]H2SO4[/ce] reacting with [ce]Zn[/ce] will produce hydrogen, since Zn has more reductive capability than H.

 

[ce]Zn + H2SO4 ->ZnSO4 + H2[/ce]

[liebig]

i know that , but will their be other bi-products?

if so what will they be?

[thedarkshade]

I don't really know but since there is not 100% sulphuric acid then the reaction on Zn with water should probably take place. Just guessing:doh:

[scotchlady]

Insane_alien,

 

I guess I just think of the caustic drain cleaners first and not the acid ones.

[insane_alien]

side reactions will be minimal. even with the bad quality of drain cleaner acid. you don't need to concentrate it. just chuck it on the zinc.

[YT2095]

I think I understand what he means, Some acids if Too concentrated do not behave like acids as well as Dilute ones will.

 

Nickel metal in Conc Nitric is a typical example, and yet reacts perfectly when dilute.

 

for the ZnSO4 look up it`s solubility and aim to have a Finished product that will leave all still in solution (simple stoichometry will suffice).

that then will be ideal to use for your H2 generator, be careful though, it Does get Warm as it reacts and some will be lost as water vapor, it would be a good idea to bubble the H2 through a dilute NaOH soln to get rid of any acid droplets too.