Nickel purification help

[YT2095]

goal: making pure nickel metal

 

method: stripping down dead Ni-Cad batteries, isolating the Nickel mesh plate, washing it to remove most of the KOH, drying it then cracking off the Ni metal from the mesh.

adding sulphuric acid to this metal and placing it on a low heater for several days, leaving the excess Ni metal and the subsequent Green Crystals.

re-hydrating this now ph neutral material, filtering and then displacing the Nickel with Aluminium inside a magnetic bottle, the Ni metal will stay in the bottle as I pour out the alu sulphate and wash the metal in pure water several times.

remove from the magnetic bottle and dry the Nickel as fast as possible to avoid over oxidation.

 

the Problem is that Alu won`t react?????

 

Magnesium ribbon will (very slowly).

 

 

why might this be the case?

[budullewraagh]

well it certainly should, and there is little reason for it to not react. perhaps your Al has an oxide layer that is blocking the reaction?

[YT2095]

nope, I tore it appart Under the soln as well, Still no reaction (and I`ve tried twice with 2 different sources)????

[budullewraagh]

well considering the Al isnt aqueous or anything...that may be your problem. how finely divided is your aluminum?

[YT2095]

it`s alu foil and works perfectly well in other displacement reactions (it`s even off the same roll).

 

there are other contaminants in my NiSO4 soln, notable Cadmium and Potassium (as sulphates), although these are minimum and shouldn`t present a problem, is it possible that they are?

 

I was quite surprised at the reaction rate of Mg ribbon also, I would have expected something far more vigorous than a few bubbles a minute.

[H2SO4]

seems like a very inneficient way to get nickel, just buy some unless your just expirementing aand dont actualy need it.

[budullewraagh]

i think the fact that your NiSO4 is insoluble is hindering your ability to react it with Al and Mg

 

also, Mg reacts with H2O faster than Al. i think the incredibly small amount of soluble Mg(OH)2 is reacting with your NiSO4

[YT2095]

I already have Nickel metal, and don`t want to buy any, it`s an extraction experiment (part recycling and part to save time making fine mesh powder of it).

 

the NiSO4 is very soluble in water, and the Mg Ribbon (although slow) did eventualy give me a little Ni metal, the problem is Why doesn`t the Alu?

 

I`ll have to try it with some Zinc a bit later...

[BenSon]

"think the incredibly small amount of soluble Mg(OH)2 is reacting with your NiSO4"

 

What would the products of this reaction be? Im curious because YT said he did produce some nickel metal and not a oxide which i think this reaction would produce.

Is it possible that your solution is just not that concentrated and it is reacting, albeit slowly. That would explain why the Mg was reacting slowly as well.

 

~Scott

[budullewraagh]

well

Mg(OH)2+NiSO4-->MgSO4+Ni(OH)2.

granted, his products dont show the nickelous cation, but i believe if he waits, he'll find some nickelous hydroxide

[YT2095]

well I`ll not be using any more Mg Ribbon (running low), the Alu is STILL in the soln and still shiney bright the water level has gone down by half due to evaporation and still no reaction?

 

I`ve tried with Copper sulphate and iron sulphate, the alu works just fine in those.

 

this is Very perplexing!

[BenSon]

Once again the only thing i can think of is that your solutions of iron and copper are much more concentrated (But spose this is unlikely) and that is increasing the rate of reaction. Try heating it up maybe you'll see something then...Its worth a shot i mean its not like its going anywhere this way.

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

it`s already at a reasonably constant 75c, and has been for the last 4 days (hence the evaporation).

[BenSon]

How pure is the Al maybe its an alloy and that is hindering the reaction...

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

no idea, it`s plain alu baking foil found in most kitchens.

 

I can`t see how it would work for 2 other sulphates but not Nickel though?

 

I`de appreciate it if anyone else out there tries this for themselves and reports back

[BenSon]

Your probably right the purity is not likely to be a factor. I dont have the chems to try this reaction but maybe someone who does can...This has me stumped, chemicaly the Al should displace the Nickel is solution easily i just have no idea why it isn't

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

I`m about to make it even more of an anomaly.

 

I removed the alu from the soln it`s been in for 4 days, and dropped some Zinc metal in, within a second it was reacting and bubbling away gently!

 

I`ll wash the original alu and use that in some copper and some iron sulphate, maybe it`s some strange quirk of this particular peice of alu?

[BenSon]

Lets hope it is, for our sanity if nothing else...Though that dosn't explain why the Mg reacted so slowly! (We might just have to forget about that)

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

well you may be pleased to note that I now have quite a nice little quantity of Ni metal powder in my magnetic bottle (I`ll stop the reaction when the soln goes clear (or no longer Green)).

 

the alu reacted well in the CuSO4 but not so well in the FeSO4?

 

I`ve double checked, and Alu sulphate DOES exist (I was starting to doubt my sanity too), so I`ve absolutely NO idea what`s going on here (or Not rather)?

 

I`m truly baffled with this one!

[YT2095]

Hmmm... just had a look at the elctromotive series and it`s really blown me away!

 

Zinc comes 7`th, Mg and Al come in at 5`th and 6`th respectively.

 

so WTF`s going on here???

[BenSon]

Yeah ive been looking at reduction potentials, electronegativity and other things but i have no idea why it has not worked I'll say it again chemically I cant make sense of it. At least you've got your nickel and this bizzare reaction has atleast paid off

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

agreed, and I`m pleased with Ni Metal result

 

but THIS!???? could I have possible "Broken" Chemistry as we know it? LOL

 

Humor aside, I strongly urge anyone out there with these chems (alu foil and NiSO4(aq)) to test this for yourself.

I`m either overlooking something obvious or there`s a material flaw that I`m not aware of.

[BenSon]

"the alu reacted well in the CuSO4 but not so well in the FeSO4?"

 

That Al is seriously f*cked up... I'll get a hold of those chems ive got some time off in a couple of weeks and i'll definately try it then. Your not the only one who can break science

 

~Scott

[YT2095]

Splendid!

 

I`ll look forwards to hearing your results (and those of others that wish to try this).

 

If I were a gambling man, I`de have lost a fortune betting on the outcome of that!

[budullewraagh]

aluminum --(sto)-->manganese :\