metalresearcher - 15-2-2011 at 13:20
I tried in a steel tube of 25mm diameter and 50mm length and squeezed and weklded together on one side the following:
mixed about 1g KOH flakes with 1g Mg turnings and heated it to dull red hot (600oC).
I saw light purplish light (the K color) coming from the open end of the tube and suddenly white smoke appeared and filled the top half of my fume
hood (but driven away by the vent in a few seconds). Then the reaction was over.
Did this tell that some K metal was formed which immediately burned to the white K2O smoke ?
P.S. Wear gloves if you repeat this as tiny droplets of molten lye might spatter on your hands ans NASTY burns occur otherwise. Perform in a fume hood
or outdoors (use a face shield in the latter case !).
[Edited on 2011-2-15 by metalresearcher]
[Edited on 2011-2-15 by metalresearcher]
bfesser - 15-2-2011 at 14:20
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=14970
hkparker - 15-2-2011 at 14:27
There is a massive thread going on about this, not to mention this doesn't belong in reagents and apparatus acquisition... detritus?
vulture - 15-2-2011 at 14:47
Please continue the discussion in the aforementioned thread.