Nitrocellulose Synthesis
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- Reupload from my tik-tok #science #chemistry #color #acid
Note: The nitrocellulose here is not pure. If it isn't obvious, I tend to focus on general procedure and the science of what is going on rather than purity of the final product in these short-form videos I do. I do intend to eventually make longer form videos that place greater emphasis on the chemical mechanisms as well as purification steps, but for now I'm having fun just learning all these general procedures.
In any case, to achieve high-purity nitrocellulose that will burn nearly instantly and leave no ash, you'd need to do either a much longer nitration, or a second nitration of the dry product seen here.
Also, note that instead of 98% nitric acid and 67% sulfuric, you can use 67% nitric and 98% sulfuric. The only difference is that with 98% sulfuric acid, care must be taken to keep the reaction temperature low or the cellulose will dissolve.
for a better quality flash paper i recommend a second nitration after drying or alternatively raising the temperature of the nitration bath to 60-70C for an hour, fitting the last few nitrate groups onto the cellulose is difficult and takes some heat, however you should not let the temperature in the first 15 minutes be above 30C otherwise it tends to run away, but after that since it has gained a few nitrate groups already the temperature can be raised to force the last few on, alternatively you can let it nitrate overnight at 0C in a freezer, reminds me i have to make some more as i ran out :P. interesting that you used 68% sulfuric acid/FNA, i could never get the paper to behave when using 70% nitric and conc sulfuric as the paper always dissolved presumably from the water, i guess i'll need to test this more but i typically use 2:1 conc sulfuric FNA which gives a good result when using the process i wrote above, the stuff is very fun and has a satisfying pop when i throw the lit paper along with a bright flash, keep up the cool vieeos
Cotton wool is better suited for nitration than paper towel. One hour at RT (outdoors or under a fumehood!) in the nitration acid is sufficent, no heating of dangerous mixtures (or storing of corrosives in fridges...) is needed then...
cotton however does not behave like paper and even after solvating then evaporating the sheet of nitrocellulose doesnt behave like paper
also i have tried this for multiple years through trial and error to get the quality i have, plain 1 hour is simply not enough, you must double nitrate, raise temperature or leave it for at least 12hr at freezing temperatures, if you do not believe me then dont but these processes i have developed through rigorous testing work
Yeah I definitely think the big thing I'd change here if I do this again is a longer nitration, the process I found didn't call for nearly as long as you suggest, and I think you may be right (especially if done at RT like this).
@@EdwardTriesToScience
I didn't deny your experience with paper and agree with cotton wool never being the same.
Cotton wool just generates more satisfying results in a shorter time with less effort and dangers.
I still know it from my younger years long time ago when such experiments in small scale weren't consecuted as crimes here like today... 😪
98 % not 68 % sulfuric acid is necessary.
Never where nitril or latex gloves when handling RFNA, only butyl rubber provides protection. Nitril/latex gloves will catch fire in contact!
Pingpong balls were made of celluloid not cellulose nitrate (gun cotton is no nitro compound, it's an ester), but not even that anymore nowadays.
In Germany cellulose nitrate is a regulated xplosive.
wrong, my good butyl gloves ignited on contact and celluloid is the same as nitrocellulose, just a lower nitrogen content nitrocellulose that was dissolved in solvent then formed
You can use vinyl gloves
@@EdwardTriesToScience
Totally confused:
- Celluloid is a mixture with camphor, when dissolved cellulose nitrate is nitro lacquer.
Gun cotton with a lower esterification rate (when using normal conc. HNO3) is called collodium wool.
- Real butyl gloves are not that thin trash, they are made of thick black rubber and are resistent to most kinds of acid. In professional/business use I once got RFNA on them and absolutely nothing happened. 😎
@@chemistryofquestionablequa6252
Yes, they will not ignite, but they will not protect for more than a few seconds, too.
@@experimental_chemistry it depends how thick they are, but any time I'm using fuming nitric acid I don't wear gloves.
Should the acid ratios not be equal amounts of 68% nitric and 98% sulphuric acids?
I heard it is possible to disolve NC in Schweizer's reagent if the cellulose is not fully nitrated. I bought a sheet of guitar pick board nitrocellulose with the aim of trying this. I haven't yet.
Just thinking you could even use SW to purify flash paper
Oh yeah Schweizer's Reagent will absolutely annihilate any cellulose on contact so definitely useful for that. Crazy how fast that stuff tears through cellulose
POOR!