Fun Chemistry Projects

[Archonic Energy]

Originally Posted by Brother Oni

I don't think the slogan 'my mate, thermite' rolls off the tongue as easily as marmite though.

I'd buy that. and the adverts would be a laugh.

i kinda miss Braniac now.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Originally Posted by Brother Oni

Yeah, it's very difficult to stop people from making thermite, given your starting materials are rust, a couple of ground up Coca-Cola cans and a firework.

I take it you've worked with thermate in a professional capacity?

Nope, just an unhealthy fascination with things that burn or explode...... or both.

There's not a lot to do when you live more than a half-hour's drive from anywhere.

Haven't been able to have any explody fun since I moved into the city, but there's other stuff to do here.

[Don Julio Anejo]

The key to electrolysis (i.e. making hydrogen) is knowing that water doesn't ionize much on its own and hence makes a poor conductor. On the other hand, adding a little table salt will make everything run significantly faster (with the downside of also making chlorine). However, much of the chlorine gas tends to immediately react with the electrodes (unless you use something like graphite, a non-ionic conductor.. you can pull rods from heavy-duty batteries), so most of what you get is, in fact, hydrogen.

You can try adding different metal powders into regular fireworks. For example, copper gives stuff a greenish/teal tint, cobalt is straight up blue, a little lithium salt (available as a treatment for bipolar) gives it a red color. Aluminium by itself burns bright white/silver.

Potassium permanganate is a very strong oxidizer and so makes stuff burn that much better/faster and used to be available in drug stores as a disinfectant. Making a weak solution of it and treating wood with it gives it an old-timey look, but takes some practice since too much and it just looks really purple. Also stains absolutely everything, so make sure not to do it in a bathtub/sink unless you want it to look rusty.

KMnO4 also reacts with glycerin to produce heat. Same with sulphuric acid, but don't try this one at home so you don't burn your hands by accident. Mixing it with aluminum powder can make a bright magnesium-like flash. Overall, a very fun chemical to have around.

Concentrated sulphuric acid and powdered sugar (i.e. icing powder) readily react: pouring a lot of acid into a beaker of sugar will cause a big column of black stuff to rise from the top: acid will dehydrate sugar and leave carbon. Do it outside or in a fume hood. Interestingly, something similar happens when H2SO4 comes in contact with cotton: my lab coats still has places that look like they've been literally burned. They even smell the same.

[Ulysses WkAmil]

Come to think of it, I have a load of old firecrackers, would the powder in those be any good for the metal-colouring? You know, if I drained all the powder into a large amount?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Originally Posted by Ulysses WkAmil

Come to think of it, I have a load of old firecrackers, would the powder in those be any good for the metal-colouring? You know, if I drained all the powder into a large amount?

Doubtful. The color in fireworks comes from heating powdered metals mixed into the explosive to the point they luminesce and oxidize. Fire-crackers don't have anything in them but explosive unless I'm mistaken. Mixing it all into one big bowl will just get you a big loosely packed fire-cracker. If you do this anyway, always use a wooden bowl and tools when mixing explosives and make sure you're always grounded. Static discharges can set off low-grade explosives like you would find in fireworks.

I'm presuming that you'll stick to gunpowder-like explosives if you do mix them, because mixing anything stronger and more stable requires both higher grade equipment than it sounds like you have and proper liscensing in most places.

This is not legal advice, always contact a lawyer or your local law-enforcement agency when you want to know something about weapons laws.