Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Stability of liquid Nitric Oxide (NO) ?

AndersHoveland - 9-6-2012 at 21:54

Does anyone know anything of the stability of nitric oxide, NO, gas? Can it be stored in pressurized tanks?

Nitric oxide is a gas, and being a radical molecule it is unusually reactive at normal temperatures, and often has complex chemistry. It spontaneously reacts with oxygen, and can even reduce dilute nitric acid in an equilibrium reaction.

I thought that I read somewhere that nitric oxide was unstable, gradually disproportionating into nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide at normal temperatures after around 20 minutes.
3 NO --> N2O + NO2
But this may be wrong.


The literature is conflicting on the stability of pure nitric oxide gas. This older paper claims there was no noticeable change after 40 years,
Stability of Nitric Oxide over a Long Time Interval
Charles S. Howard, Farrington Daniels
J. Phys. Chem., 1958, 62 (3), pp 360–361

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/j150561a030


Apparently cryogenically liquified nitric oxide can be detonated:
Quote:

"cryogenic distillation of liquid NO...
In liquid form, nitric oxide (NO) is an unpredictable, highly shock-sensitive, explosive. It is comparable to nitroglycerin.

Nitric oxide boils it -152 C and freezes at -163 C."

Michael Fox (obtained Doctoral Degree in Physical Chemistry at University of Hawaii)
http://www.chemaxx.com/nitric_oxide_explosion2.htm

Fundamental research on explosives program
Thomas Rivera
Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev., 1985, 24 (3), pp 440–442

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/i300019a021

One paper mentions that nitric oxide, in the form of its gas and solid phases, can also be detonated.
"Detonation studies with nitricoxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen tetroxide, carbon monoxide, and ethylene"
John Ribovich, John Murphy, Richard Watson
Journal of Hazardous Materials
Volume 1, Issue 4, 1975–1976, pp 275–287

DJF90 - 10-6-2012 at 15:51

Yes, it can be stored in a gas bottle. I found an old lecture bottle lurking in the back of the cupboard under my hood at work, along with one filled with deuterium, and a couple with oxygen.

AndersHoveland - 10-6-2012 at 16:08

Quote: Originally posted by DJF90  
I found an old lecture bottle lurking in the back of the cupboard under my hood at work.

Are you sure it was not mislabbled? It might have just been nitrrous oxide. It seems these two gas names often get confused.

Is it possible to confirm that it is actually nitric oxide? Fill an empty transparent container of it in the absence of oxygen. It should be clear. Then expose the gas to air. It should become brown.

This product discription would seem to suggest it can be stored in cylinders:
Quote:

Nitric Oxide, Compressed
Formula: NO
Nitrogen(II) Oxide

Corrosive gas

Nitric Oxide, UHP 99.5%

Nitrous Oxide >1000ppm
Nitrogen >3000ppm

Cylinder size 1.5m^3

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:1_1ST7GYNZUJ:...

[Edited on 11-6-2012 by AndersHoveland]

DJF90 - 10-6-2012 at 21:06

Quote: Originally posted by AndersHoveland  

Are you sure it was not mislabbled? It might have just been nitrrous oxide. It seems these two gas names often get confused.


No it was not mislabelled. I think "Nitric oxide, NO" is clear enough, don't you?
Quote: Originally posted by AndersHoveland  

Is it possible to confirm that it is actually nitric oxide? Fill an empty transparent container of it in the absence of oxygen. It should be clear. Then expose the gas to air. It should become brown.


I'm not faffing about to benefit your curiosity. Either believe the contents are as labelled, or don't.

woelen - 10-6-2012 at 22:37

NO is stable on storage. I have made the gas quite a few times and kept it around in a closed glass bottle for much longer than 20 minutes. The gas remains colorless on storage and only when oxygen is allowed to reach the gas it turns brown in seconds. It also quickly reacts with chlorine gas and then turns orange (formation of ONCl). I also testen storage above water and this also shows that it is stable. A layer of NO above water does not dissolve and the gas remains colorless.

dann2 - 11-6-2012 at 00:41


Just to sum up the thread.

YES, NO can be stored.

Dann2 (on behalf of Sir Hiss).

AJKOER - 11-6-2012 at 05:58

My checking of MSDS for Nitric Oxide produced some results (if credible?).

One claims that containers are not sensitive to shock or static electricity. However, do limit temperature exposure to the compressed gas to under 52 C. Also, avoid freezing. Link: http://www.mesagas.com/_Specialty%20Gas%20MSDS/Nitric%20Oxid...

Another site notes that the containers can explode in a fire. Link: http://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1357.pdf

From these warnings, I would surmise that the gas on freezing may, indeed, become shock sensitive. Also, mild heating of the compressed gas may also precipitate an explosion.

Boron Trioxide - 18-6-2012 at 12:05

Hi, nitric oxide sounds like an interesting compound though does anyone have a reliable manufacturing method that wouldn't involve nitric acid in an inert atmosphere or vacuum?

I think the easiest amateur method of production would be a Birkeland-Eyde reactor in a vacuum thoughts anyone?

Lambda-Eyde - 18-6-2012 at 13:56

Quote: Originally posted by Boron Trioxide  

I think the easiest amateur method of production would be a Birkeland-Eyde reactor in a vacuum thoughts anyone?

Is that a joke?

woelen - 18-6-2012 at 22:25

The easiest method of making NO (free of NO2) is reacting NaNO2 with FeSO4 in acidic solution. Just add solid NaNO2 to a solution of FeSO4 in dilute acid and pure NO bubbles from solution.

Another option is adding solid NaNO2 to warm dilute acid, but then the NO2 must be scrubbed from the gas mix by passing the stream through water.

NaNO2 and FeSO4 both are chemicals which are not hard to get.

Boron Trioxide - 19-6-2012 at 06:36

Quote: Originally posted by Lambda-Eyde  
Quote: Originally posted by Boron Trioxide  

I think the easiest amateur method of production would be a Birkeland-Eyde reactor in a vacuum thoughts anyone?

Is that a joke?


:( Oops, sorry for the ridiculous idea on this good science fourm, I will try better next time.