PERCHLORATES

[donnie darko]

As a rule, any oxidizable material that is treated with perchloric acid
will become a low order explosive. Metals, however, such as potassium or
sodium, become excellent bases for flash-type powders. Some materials that can
be perchlorated are cotton, paper, and sawdust. To produce potassium or sodium
perchlorate, simply acquire the hydroxide of that metal, e.g. sodium or
potassium hydroxide. It is a good idea to test the material to be perchlorated
with a very small amount of acid, since some of the materials tend to react
explosively when contacted by the acid. Solutions of sodium or potassium
hydroxide are ideal.

[Random]

Damn... how long has it been since I've done anything like this... years...

You would get KOH by running an electrolysis on K in water? I hope that's right...

[icecool]

You don't get KOH by electrolysing K in water.
When just pouring metalic elemental potassium in water it will dissociate into K+ and OH- thus forming KOH solution.
anyway it is much more OTC to buy KOH then K....
And one could also use HClO4 and K2CO3 then there would be HCO3 formed which is a gas and you do need 2 mols HClO4 for every mole of K2CO3 though.
But that's obvious and be carefull with HClO4 >70% is extremely sensetive and explosive.

[Random]

Fuck...I seriously need to go back over my chemistry...

[Douchermann]

Yeah, but if your not careful when adding the potassium, it will blow up.
4K + 2H2O --> K2O + H2
The reaction from potassium to potassium oxide is very exothermic, enough to set off the hydrogen that is forming, which is why it blows up when you throw it in water.

2K + 2HOH --> KOH + H2

Alrite, what the hell. HOH and H2O are the same thing, yet they produce 2 different equations becaus OH naturally has a -1 charge. So which one would it do, make potassium oxide or potassium hydroxide.

[Random]

It would make potassium oxide. Something in my head is telling me that you need to force ionisation or something for the water to seperate as H and OH instead of H2 and O.

...wrong again I guess? :?

[K9]

Reactive metals like that will react with water to form their hydroxide in solution.

2K + 2H2O --> 2KOH + H2 etc.

Potassium oxidizing in air will give you K2O -
4K + O2 --> 2K2O

[Douchermann]

Thank you for clarifyting that. I wonder how they make potassium hydroxide in commercial factories without it blowing up.... its gotta be something else instead of potassium and water.

[K9]

That would be a terrible way to do it :wink: They use electrolysis of KCl to get KOH.

[Douchermann]

Oh ok... hahaha imagine telling the germans how to make KOH back then, be like "hey, if you throw potassium into water, it will make up some potassium hydroxide, see the formula works out." Then you run.... and germanies hydroxide plant blows up and they can't fight the war because.... ummm, whatever.

[icecool]

Ok WTF if you have nothing to say, then just don't...
Don't fuck up the topic....

[Douchermann]

How the hell did i fuck up this topic, the second post started the perchlorate topic on potassium hydroxide, not me. I was just typing something to laugh at, Who the hell else was gonna post something usefull to this. Very few people know about making perchlorates, and even then they probably wont post here, what the fuck is your deal.

[Mumbles]

He was talking about the random comment about the germans. That had absolutly nothing to do with the topic, and just detracted from the focus.

By the way, the acid reacted with the carbonate does not produce HCO3, and HCO3 isn't a gas. It is an ion, the bicarbonate ion. The gas is CO2. This is extremely elementary stuff, I hope it was just a thoughtless mistake.

[Douchermann]

I know he was talking about the one about germans, but I explained that the comment I made did not infact screw up an already screwed up topic.