Sciencemadness Discussion Board

The Sodium Acetate Thing

oxybate - 24-7-2007 at 18:14

Well I got a bunch of that.

However, it's not so easy as shown on YouTube. Anytime I try to cool the super-saturated solution I start to see crystallization - I'm wondering if the dust in my condo is supplying the necessary seed matrix that is doing this. If that be the case, how can I achieve the fabled super-saturated solution necessary to wow myself and my little cousins?

garage chemist - 24-7-2007 at 21:41

Do you cover the flask with some foil, and do you let it cool slow enough (only air cooling, no water)?

Jamjar - 24-7-2007 at 22:22

Sodium acetate trihydrate loses water @ 120C.
Maybe the solution has dehydrated too much? Try adding a small amount of water <%10.
Impurities from vinegar?
Try cooling slower.

Sodium ethanoate ‘stalagmite’

UnintentionalChaos - 24-7-2007 at 23:29

Cover when you cool, don't move it around, and cool it in a smooth walled (preferably new) glass container. Scratches on the glass can be enough to make it crystallize. Keep any dust out of the mix.

oxybate - 26-7-2007 at 07:58

Thanks for the suggestions. I followed the Youtube video which is quite deceptive.

16MillionEyes - 28-7-2007 at 06:08

I've been wanting to do this myself but I don't have enough sodium acetate and I don't really have a way to measured how much I've produced and how much I still need left. Also, I lost some yield trying to purify it the commonsense way (boil off) so I know rely on natural evaporation or cooling filtration.