Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Making sulfur from sodium sulfide

blip - 11-6-2003 at 23:44

Would displacing sulfur from Na<sub>2</sub>S using Cl<sub>2</sub> be safe (well, maybe semi-safe :))? Could it produce sulfur chlorides easily (which I don't want)?

8Na<sub>2</sub>S + 8Cl<sub>2</sub> <u><sup>__</sup></u>> S<sub>8</sub> + 16NaCl

In my opinion...

madscientist - 12-6-2003 at 06:53

That'd be more likely to generate sulfur chlorides than elemental sulfur.

blip - 12-6-2003 at 14:05

So I guess the best way would be to put it into an acid to produce H<sub>2</sub>S and partially burn it and then react the leftover H<sub>2</sub>S with the SO<sub>2</sub>.

Na<sub>2</sub>S + 2HCl <sup><u>__</u></sup>> H<sub>2</sub>S + 2NaCl

2H<sub>2</sub>S + 3O<sub>2</sub> <sup><u>__</u></sup>> 2SO<sub>2</sub> + 2H<sub>2</sub>O

16H<sub>2</sub>S + 8SO<sub>2</sub> <sup><u>_any_special_conditions?_</u></sup>> 3S<sub>8</sub> + 16H<sub>2</sub>O

why though?

tryptamine - 12-6-2003 at 16:34

Making a cheap widely available pretty much waste material (sulphur) from a useful specialized reagent (sodium sulfide) is kinda backwards to the general thinking here.

I'll trade you pure sulfur for sulfide mass per mass, or I can tell you where to get it cheaply.

blip - 12-6-2003 at 17:46

I got my idea from the Claus process, but I forgot what the conditions were supposed to be. :) I'll take another look at my chem book.

I made hydrogen sulfide by detarnishing silverware in hot brine in an aluminum container and neutralizing it with sodium bicarbonate until it stopped fizzing, making sodium (hydrogen) sulfide (hopefully). A few minutes after doing that, I passed out three times while getting fresh air. :o

I'm much more interested in synthesizing chemicals myself rather than simply purchasing them. Besides, I'd think people would find it a bit suspicious that I want sulfur.

madscientist - 12-6-2003 at 19:03

Quote:
A few minutes after doing that, I passed out three times while getting fresh air.


You're lucky to be alive! :o

do you have some buddies who like chemistry?

Polverone - 13-6-2003 at 01:34

Because I've got to tell you, I've always wondered how the LD50 values of a number of substances in humans compare with the same substance in rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, (the usual victims). Sulfur isn't suspicious, but if you come across as nervous and shifty anything can become suspicious.

Darkfire - 13-6-2003 at 08:50

That makes H2S? Damn ive done that like a million times to acuatly clean my silver, i had no clue that produces toxic gas!

CTR

blip - 13-6-2003 at 11:45

To clean my silverware (which is usually very heavily tarnished by the time I decide to do it), I use hot to boiling brine in an aluminum container. Some suggest using NaHCO<sub>3</sub> instead, I guess because it'll take up the H<sub>2</sub>S before it becomes gaseous. :) Last time I did it, my brother came in complaining about how I stunk up the house, and I said: "Huh, I hardly smell a thing... Oh yeah, whoops...".

How do you dentarnish yours?

a123x - 19-6-2003 at 10:46

How about this for isolating sulfur: heat iron sulfate in a flask to its decomposition point causing it to release SO3, have the flask hooked up to a condensing spiral of glass tube, let it drip into a beaker. Then react the liquid SO3 with an active metal to reduce the sulfur. I can't think of why that wouldn't work except for that it's difficult to do.

vulture - 19-6-2003 at 10:50

The only place you'd want to work with SO3 is in a completely DRY glovebox. Anything else will cause violent explosive H2SO4 splattering.