Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Birkeland-Eyde reactor design

TheIdeanator - 16-11-2015 at 13:29

I've been reading up on this design since I can't find a source for nitric acid and its cheaper and easier for me to make arcs than to use up sulfuric acid and nitrate salts. My question is does NOx react with H2 and O2 at roughly room temp to make nitric acid? Alternatively, what conditions would be needed for that to work? I am unable to test this out since I have very limited space and equipment at the moment, but my guess is that after the production of NOx, the gasses are forced into a chamber with O2 generated via electrolysis and an ozone generator to completely oxidize the nitrogen products and then onto a chamber with H2, a bit of H2O(g), and a condenser to finalize the rxn which would yield fuming nitric. I have absolutely no idea if this is possible and I suspect it isn't since the internet is giving me nothing.

Another thought: would forcing steam into a container of NO2 and condensing that yield the strong stuff much faster than with bubblers?

This is currently just a thought experiment for me as I don't have a need for fuming nitric.

WGTR - 16-11-2015 at 16:10

I think you'll enjoy this book, as it deals specifically with nitrous gas absorption:

http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/absorption_o...

Adding a reducing agent (hydrogen) to the nitric gasses is probably the last thing that you want to do when trying to make nitric acid. You'll end up with nitrogen gas and water.

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