Sciencemadness Discussion Board

another way to nitric acid

menchaca - 16-9-2003 at 01:26

i´ver recntly have find somo information about how nitric acid was made in medieval ages the reaction was this:

CuSO4 + 2KNO3 ---->K2SO4 + CuO + 2NO2 + 1/2O2

the CuSO4 were strongly heated in an iron pipe and the NO2 gases were conduced to water were formed the nitric acid. What do you say about it? thanks again

Mephisto - 16-9-2003 at 01:56

That’s right. I found similar preparation here. But it’s in German.

A mixture of KAl(SO4)2 · 12 H2O, KNO3 and CuSO4 · 5 H2O (in same parts) is heated in a dry glass tube. The evolved gas is condensed in another cold tube and should be concentrated nitric acid.