making KNO3

[Ice_Phoenix87]

hey i was wondering if you can create KNO3 with KCl and NaNO3. I was told you can. If so whats the technique?

Thankyou

Icey

[YT2095]

I just dissolve them both in boiling water after measuring the correct amounts of each stoichometricaly, and then allow it to cool slowly. the KNO3 is the least soluble and will form large needle like crystals. when formed put the vessel in the fridge overnight and pour off any remaining liquid the next day, what`s left will be your KNO3, you can give them a quick rinse with ice water to further purify, but for gunpowder you don`t really have to bother

[Ice_Phoenix87]

Thanx for the info.

Ummm this may seem silly but how do i measure stoichometricaly?

[LucidDreamer]

Measuring stoichometricaly basically involves adding the right amount of each component so that you don't end up with an excess of one left over. I believe the formula for this reaction is:

KCl + NaNO3 ----> KNO3 + NaCl So its a basic 1 to 1 ratio where you add one molecule of potassium chloride to one molecule of sodium nitrate to get 1 potassium nitrate molecule (and one table salt molecule). But since KCl is a lighter molecule than NaNO3 you need less of it, as far as mass(or weight) goes. KCl has a molecular weight of 74.551 and NaNO3 has a molecular weight of 84.980. So the ratio of KCl to NaNO3 is .877. So you would need 87% as much KCl as you need NaNO3. But it’s been awhile since I did that so maybe YT will correct me if im wrong.

[Ice_Phoenix87]

so the ratio of KCl to Na is? how do you work that out?

thanx

[budullewraagh]

well, we can do this stoichiometrically:

 

MW of NaNO3=84.99467

MW of KCl=74.5513

 

so, take any measurement of your KCl and multiply by 0.8771291188 and you will have your required amount of NaNO3.

[Ice_Phoenix87]

so you would multiply one gram of KCl? if you wanted one gram?

[budullewraagh]

no; if you want the reaction to work perfectly, you'd need to measure out a certain amount of KCl, then multiply the mass of the KCl by 0.8771291188 to determine how much NaNO3 you need to use.

 

by the way, what do you wish to do with this KNO3?

[Ice_Phoenix87]

to make some small fireworks

[budullewraagh]

try using Mg and Sr. the former you can get from the cases of pencil sharpeners. the latter you can get from highway flares.

[YT2095]

or you can get the stuff from Pottery Glase suppliers, Sr, Na and Ba are great color providers, use a neutral color base like Potassium as that`s easily overriden by the others

 

btw, I`m having a go at making my own gunpowder the OLD way!!!!

 

I have a a 45 gallon plastic drum, with about 30 kilo of ash (from burnt weeds) and about half a ton of well rotted horse manure for the Nitrate part, I`ll take some pics as I progress, and post them on my website as and when

 

{edit} I`m even using Rain water for the mix, but I need to know WHERE in the UK I can find or Extract Supher from, I`m NOT buying ANYTHING!

Ideas welcome

[Dragoncaviar]

Don't you need Urea from urine to make (good Ol fashoned) gunpowder?

[YT2095]

the horse crap contains all that too, the bacterial action over the last 8 months has made all the nitrate I need

[raivo]

Pyrite is minerale that contains lot of sulphur. As far as i know it is not very hard to find. Many other minerals that are redish in color, but not crystallic, also contain FeS.

 

Plain sulphur is harder to find.

[budullewraagh]

and post them on my website as and when

what's your site url?

[demux]

Would you guys make a list of all possible ways to make KNO3?

 

Someone told me it could be extracted from birdshit.

 

You can also buy in fertilizer. How do you extract clean KNO3 out of the fertilizer?

 

I know it could simply be bought... But what if you are lost in the wild? It would be god to know how to make powder. Or even to know how to use KNO3 to keep food "fresh".

 

In some countries clean KNO3 isn't really very cheap. For that reason it would be good to know how to extract it from fertilizer.

 

Disclaimer: Whatever I say, I may be bullshiting. I often assume too much.

[Gilded]

Actually, I think pure KNO3 is used as a fertilizer with no added stuff. Probably the biggest single concentration of KNO3 is in YT's garden shed.

[demux]

I haven't been able to find pure KNO3 fertilizer for a long time. There is always some chalk and other trash in it...

 

I wanna edit my posts to correct silly spelling errors... :/

[budullewraagh]

the government banned it from being sold in those 25lb bags

[demux]

oh well... I can probably get it here in iceland somewhere... I don't think the goverment here would ban such a wonderful fertilizer...

[budullewraagh]

if all else fails, urinate on manure and wait for the bacteria to take action

[Gilded]

"I can probably get it here in iceland somewhere"

 

Is there anything to fertilize in Iceland? Just kidding... I bet trees aren't that plenty but hey, KNO3 is used for lawn fertilizing isn't it?

 

"if all else fails, urinate on manure and wait for the bacteria to take action"

 

It will make a wonderful decoration if you place it in the middle of your backyard lawn, too.

[budullewraagh]

yes, yes it would. and neighbors would wonder what that white stuff is and refer you to a doctor thinking it was some ungodly disease

[demux]

Well do you have any idea how I could extract KNO3 from fertilizer with extra stuff like chalk?

[YT2095]

yeah, if chalk`s your problem, just dissolve the lot in some water, then filter it, Chalk being largely insoluble will be caught in the filter paper, then all you do is just evaporate the water, leaving your product