Sciencemadness Discussion Board

reducing CaSO4 with C

FadeToBlackened - 18-5-2003 at 12:36

I've read that this can be done by heating it, but how much heat does it take? Would charcoal + lots of air do it or would it take a high current carbon-arc type setup?

madscientist - 18-5-2003 at 13:17

I once attempted to reduce MgSO<sub>4</sub> with charcoal (both powders, intimately mixed) in a charcoal fire. Nothing much seemed to happen.

[Edited on 18-5-2003 by madscientist]

Thermite?

Theoretic - 30-6-2003 at 04:24

Theoretically, Al powder would react with CaSO4 quite exothermically. SO4-- is more oxidizing than S.

rikkitikkitavi - 1-7-2003 at 05:53

CaSO4 can be reduced with C , but it takes about 13-1400 C, wich is unobtainable in a simple charcoal fire, unless it is very large. Heat loss compared to combustion rate is unfavourable in most fires that we can construct in the lab or in a garden.

An arc oven (with graphite electrodes ) would probably work.

/rickard