OneEyedPyro
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Nitration mix turning pink
I recently bought some fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate. And yes I properly recrystallized it with distilled water.
Upon adding the acid it turns a vibrant pink color, when distilled the pink color comes over as well. It's definitely not NO2 contamination, I know
what that looks like.
Any ideas on what's going on here?
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sauveurdumonde
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Could you post some pictures? And what is the brand of the ammonium nitrate?
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Rainwater
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What acid did you react it with?
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OneEyedPyro
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No pictures or any idea what brand the AN is, it has very little information printed on the bag besides 'ammonium nitrate nitrogen content 34% and
made in China'. I spotted it at a local farm and feed store.
The acid I was using is just drain cleaner grade sulfuric acid, but it's very clear and is probably not too far from lab grade 98%. I've never had a
problem with it before.
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sauveurdumonde
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Try reacting the drain cleaner with a small amount of ammonia, and seperately with a source of nitrate (like KNO3, if you can't find any use
gunpowder.) See if the solution turns pink, and you'll know whether or not it's the drain cleaner. You could also add some WEAK H2O2
to some of the pink solution. If the colour goes away it's likely an organic compound in one of the products.
"There is a shadow of a nation behind you, the hope of a people... yet it may not matter. The Divide still stands against us."
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Rainwater
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It took me forever to find this.
Knowing the nerd name makes it easy
Qualitative analysis of cations i.e. identifying unknown compounds
1)https://youtu.be/F7cSlwKfoHw
2) https://youtu.be/VAy76V4THlY
3) https://youtu.be/LYSblvmOmfg
[Edited on 25-2-2022 by Rainwater]
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OneEyedPyro
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I tried another nitrate source and got no pink color with that same acid. Clearly there's some contaminate in the AN and my recrystallization didn't
take it out, what really baffles me ia that the compound came over a bit when distilled.
Maybe it's a wide spectrum fertilizer just labeled as ammonium nitrate.
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Rainwater
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It could be pickeling salt
Sodium nitrite
By itself, it's white yellow. But, mixed with sodium cloride turns pink.
I'm not sure how to test for it without isolating all the nitrates and removing them first.
If its carried over during distillation try a long fractional column amd slower rate to help remove solids
A quick google turned up this, i have never tried it. Could work, could not. This is theory
1) NaNO3 + H2SO4 → HNO3 + NaHSO4
2) 2 NaNO2 + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + NO + NO2 + H2O
3) Na2SO4 + H2SO4 → 2 NaHSO4
4) HNO3 + Na2SO4 = NaNO3 + H2SO4
Step 1 is the main reaction. Making nitric acid and sodium bisulfate
Both gasses in step 1 and 2 can be bubbled through h2o2 or water to get nitric acid. Its not listed but hno3 will decompose into no and no2
Step 2) is an impurity that can be causing your pink color. by consuming more sulfuric acid.
Step 3) This needs to be limited to protect yield by slowly adding sulfuric acid to the reaction during distillation after its headed to ~80c so the
the production of nitric acid will be favored over the production of sodium sulfate.
Step 4) this is a side reaction that will push to the left as you distill.
So i think a slower/colder distillation would destroy any nitrite in the reaction.
With proper gas collection you can use thermal decomposition to produce NO/NO2 and bubble through water. Very low yielding
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