Sciencemadness Discussion Board

How to make potassium sulfide from potassium sulfate?

pembinariver - 20-9-2021 at 17:56

According to Wikipedia:

Quote:
[Potassium sulfide] can be produced by heating K2SO4 with carbon (coke):
K2SO4 + 4 C → K2S + 4 CO


Unfortunately there are no references for this, so I don't know where to look for more information.

Someone on chemicalforums.com told me the reaction should happen around 915K. Wikipedia says K2S would decompose at 1185K so I'll have to keep the reaction below this.

I was thinking of heating potassium sulfate with milled charcoal in the absence of oxygen. Is there anything I'm missing here?

Triflic Acid - 20-9-2021 at 21:03

Welcome to SM. You might have some trouble storing the K2S, it is extremely hydroscopic. What do you need it for that you can't use something nicer like sodium sulfide?

unionised - 21-9-2021 at 00:00

There's a fair bit of data on the comparable reduction of BaSO4.
That might give you some hints.
One of the more important considerations is that hot sulphides will oxidise in air; you need to exclude that until the material cools.