Sciencemadness Discussion Board

What blocked my condenser

Romix - 3-4-2020 at 22:23

Once I wos distilling my own urine to make NH4OH. And in the process something blocked the condenser. Pressuere just fired condenser out to the other side of the room, and all the concentrated urine splattered like fountain from the floor to the roof.
What blocked the condenser?

Romix - 3-4-2020 at 22:26

This staff always crystallizes in the condeser.

Sigmatropic - 3-4-2020 at 22:58

Someone once told me we amature chemist's have enough to explain already so let's not have gallons of urine standing around waiting to be boiled down to some residue. I would take that advise to heart.

Boffis - 4-4-2020 at 00:23

There is no free ammonia in fresh urine. You have to add something to it, such as slaked lime in the historical method, to liberate the ammonia but you haven't really given us any details about what you were doing. If you were simply boiling it down to concentrate it (not necessary in the lime process) god only knows what was distilling off. If you just want to concentrate it first, why no just evaporate it down in an open bowl outside, cool, filter of the coagulated protein etc and then add lime to the urea to liberate the ammonia.

PS, buy a can of Ad-blue, its cheaper and less likely to piss-off your neighbours :)

Romix - 4-4-2020 at 01:03

By evaporating it down in the open bowl all the ammonia hydroxide will evaporate out as well. That's what makes the disgusting smell, ammonia. Much easier to freeze urine, water will freeze up, but all the compounds that decomposes to ammonia hydroxide will stay liquid. Pour out water. Then just distill off almost pure ammonia hydroxide solution, you need to watch it because when it gets to hot, it foams and can contaminate colourless distillate. I used to etch PCBs with it, had litres of copper ammonium complex. And you don't need to add anything to it!

[Edited on 4-4-2020 by Romix]

Romix - 4-4-2020 at 01:09

Then copper ammonia complex can be decomposed to copper oxide, and more pure ammonia hydroxide solution can be distilled back. I tried it with diluted sample, don't know if it can explode or not. all my concentrate went down the toilet drain when I came out from ward with schizophrenia.

Romix - 4-4-2020 at 01:29

Actually the sample I've decomposed to copper oxide and ammonia hydroxide, had Cl- ions there too. Because I made complex by adding ammonia solution to copper chloride.

draculic acid69 - 4-4-2020 at 05:50

I'd say you got bigger problems than your condenser clogging like a room full of stale piss concentrate.just buy it

draculic acid69 - 4-4-2020 at 05:54

Quote: Originally posted by Romix  
Then copper ammonia complex can be decomposed to copper oxide, and more pure ammonia hydroxide solution can be distilled back. I tried it with diluted sample, don't know if it can explode or not. all my concentrate went down the toilet drain when I came out from ward with schizophrenia.


Now that you've been deamed ok to re enter society do u still feel the need to save urine and concentrate it?

reactofurnace - 4-4-2020 at 06:01

Quote: Originally posted by Romix  
By evaporating it down in the open bowl all the ammonia hydroxide will evaporate out as well. That's what makes the disgusting smell, ammonia. Much easier to freeze urine, water will freeze up, but all the compounds that decomposes to ammonia hydroxide will stay liquid. Pour out water. Then just distill off almost pure ammonia hydroxide solution, you need to watch it because when it gets to hot, it foams and can contaminate colourless distillate. I used to etch PCBs with it, had litres of copper ammonium complex. And you don't need to add anything to it!

[Edited on 4-4-2020 by Romix]


Piss PCB elixir Haha :D

Romix - 4-4-2020 at 06:08

Quote: Originally posted by draculic acid69  
Quote: Originally posted by Romix  
Then copper ammonia complex can be decomposed to copper oxide, and more pure ammonia hydroxide solution can be distilled back. I tried it with diluted sample, don't know if it can explode or not. all my concentrate went down the toilet drain when I came out from ward with schizophrenia.


Now that you've been deamed ok to re enter society do u still feel the need to save urine and concentrate it?


No. But sometimes I think about starting this experiments all over again.

Herr Haber - 4-4-2020 at 12:49

What did I just read ?!!! :o

pneumatician - 13-4-2020 at 12:06

Quote: Originally posted by Romix  


No. But sometimes I think about starting this experiments all over again.


again, yes!! very funny, but next time use a Allihn condenser! no? :)

and stop if clots are formed!!

Romix - 1-9-2022 at 20:22

Ok!! Mixing copper chloride with NH4OH makes blue complex, which decomposes at the boiling point of water to black copper oxide and NH4Cl in solution which can be used to drop platinum ...

Romix - 1-9-2022 at 20:29

Reacting HCl and NH4OH directly will produce a lot of fumes, smoke grenade like...

[Edited on 2-9-2022 by Romix]

Gammatron - 1-9-2022 at 20:36

Kinda funny that I came across this thread cause I currently have several liters of years old urine waiting to be concentrated to extract white P.

Romix - 1-9-2022 at 21:00

But best to not to add to much NH4OH, as some may remain unreacted and if AR with platinum will also contain gold, it might explode....

Romix - 1-9-2022 at 21:09

Can NH4Cl be recrystallized? And what if you distill excess NH4OH from it, will it decompose at that temperature ?

Romix - 1-9-2022 at 21:12

Checked Wiki, should be ok... melts at bit over 300 C and decomposing at over 500 C...