Iodine from Potassium Iodide Via Chlorine Displacement

[budullewraagh]

tonight i had the urge to make some iodine, so i did using chlorine displacement.

 

in order to generate chlorine i distilled 300mL of bleach down to a suspension of 75mL precipitated hypochlorites and 50mL supersaturated hypochlorite solution.

i then placed a funnel upside-down in this, with the funnel duct-taped to a u-tube. the tube and funnel fit perfectly. this tube went under the surface of 20mL KI solution in a crucible. i added a splash of supersaturated HCl under the funnel, put the funnel back and stepped back. immediately chlorine was evolved, going through the tube and bubbling vigorously out the other end into the solution, which instantly turned purple, showing the precipitation of iodine. i kept the crucible packed in snow to prevent the sublimation of the iodine. my product is a suspension as seen below. it appears to be a solution/suspension of I2/KI, as you can see below. i believe some of the iodide wasn't oxidized because perhaps the u-tube went above the surface after the initial rapid bubbling.

 

any ideas for making a better apparatus next time?

[jdurg]

Well, don't forget that iodide ions will allow iodine to dissolve in water at a MUCH greater rate than if no I- was present. So I'd make sure that the chlorine is added in excess and that no I- is present in solution. This way your I2 will ppt out and not remain in solution.

[budullewraagh]

yeah i know about the iodide anions helping iodine dissolve. i definitely produced a great excess of chlorine. im quite sure that the initial rush of chlorine moved the u-tube out from below the surface. oh well, i'll just use this for bio lab work and use the sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide way tomorrow just for comparative analysis

[jdurg]

Either way, the elements you physically produce yourself are the most fun.

[Gilded]

"Either way, the elements you physically produce yourself are the most fun."

 

I don't like the sound of "producing elements", except if it's done by nucleosynthesis or such. I like "extracting elements" more. (Yay, I'm on a "nitpicking spree" today )

[YT2095]

wouldn`t it be easier to go via the HI method?

 

less contaminants

[budullewraagh]

speaking of which, i did that today (see my other thread)

[jdurg]

"Either way' date=' the elements you physically produce yourself are the most fun."

 

I don't like the sound of "producing elements", except if it's done by nucleosynthesis or such. I like "extracting elements" more. (Yay, I'm on a "nitpicking spree" today )[/quote']

 

Well, technically speaking, every time you perform electrolysis on water you are literally 'making' elements. Or every time you generate hydrogen from a metal/acid reaction, you're actually 'making' hydrogen. (Since there is a hydrogen ion in the water, it is actually just a bare proton and the electrolysis or displacement with metal adds an electron to that naked proton. Therefore, you are literally making hydrogen from protons and electrons). A similar thing can be said with helium. You can technically make helium by letting an alpha emitter decay in a closed vessel. You are making the helium nucleus whenever the radioactive item decays. Theoretically, you could just distill that helium on out of there. Neat isn't it?

[Gilded]

"A similar thing can be said with helium. You can technically make helium by letting an alpha emitter decay in a closed vessel. You are making the helium nucleus whenever the radioactive item decays. Theoretically, you could just distill that helium on out of there. Neat isn't it?"

 

Actually, that's exactly how helium was first discovered (on Earth, it was discovered in the Sun earlier using spectre observing). And as I said, nucleosynthesis is an exception. And taking or giving an atom an electron or two isn't making new elements, dammit!

 

In other words: *whine whine whine blah blah blah*

[jdurg]

"And taking or giving an atom an electron or two isn't making new elements' date=' dammit!

 

In other words: *whine whine whine blah blah blah* [/quote']

 

 

It is if it's hydrogen. (Since hydrogen without an electron is just a proton which is not an element. Add an electron to it and 'BLAMMO'! You have an element).

[Gilded]

Bah. Well, if you necessarily want to look at it that way then I give up. I still prefer to think that protons are hydrogen nuclei, as alpha particles are helium nuclei, no matter how many electrons they have.

[jdurg]

Bah. Well, if you necessarily want to look at it that way then I give up. I still prefer to think that protons are hydrogen nuclei, as alpha particles are helium nuclei, no matter how many electrons they have.

 

Well if it has an electron, then it's not a nucleus. HAHA! Successful nitpick!

[YT2095]

YT2095 watches Jdurg smirking smugly in front of his test tubes ))

[Gilded]

"Well if it has an electron, then it's not a nucleus. HAHA! Successful nitpick!"

 

¤#¤%! The Force is strong in this one. I meant of course that a nucleus could get an electron, becoming an atom.