Clonejeffie
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Experiment ideas for a beginner.
i just need some ideas for what to do and how to get started. I am interested in electrolysis, making useful chemicals such as calcium acetate and
ethanol ,purifying metals like tin from pewter,make all kinds of acetates sulfates oxides and chlorides, make sulfuric nitric and hydrochloric acid,
somehow break down used cooking oil down into a useful fuel distill vinegar ethanol acetone some sort of extraction from batteries
My materials(i can get a lot more if necessary):
Metals:pewter Magnesium Gallium Copper Zinc Iron medical grade Lead(Very pure) brass bronze aluminum (I can obtain almost any other metal needed)
Other: [borax] [calcium carbonate] [Isopropyl alcohol] [hydrogen peroxide 3% (very easy to get)] [cornstarch] [sugar] [yeast] [vinegar(LOTS)]
[magnesium sulfate] [potassium nitrate] [fullers earth clay] [plaster] [lots of matches 2000 or so] [Manganese dioxide] [sodium bicarbonate] [used
cooking oil] [sawdust(unlimited)] [paper(unlimited)] [PH paper] [Butane can] [Propane can] [Oxygen can] [Acetylene can](can get Helium or Argon)
[electronics scrap bin] [ram sticks] [circuit boards] [lots of random batteries]
Glassware: [250ml beaker] [500ml boiling flask] [500ml Erlenmeyer flask] [500ml filtering flask] [evaporating dish] [mortar and pestle]
Tools: [Scale g/oz] [cork corer] [fish tank aerator] [toaster oven] [electric stove top thing] [propane torch] [oxy-acetylene torch] [welder] [2 amp
2-12 volt power supply(Coming soon)] [vacuum pump hand squeeze one] [anvil] [ball mill/rock tumbler] [silicone sealant(make stoppers or seals)]
[9-volt batteries] [6-volt lantern batteries] [electric lead pot up to 1000F]
Just ask if you want pictures of anything
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violet sin
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Greetings, Sounds like a decent start for sure 
I started out playing with copper my self. It was an easy call with wanting to get more/different chemicals from stuff I had. ATX power supply made
from a dead computer lead to electrochem experiments. Copper wasn't dissolving as fast as I wanted, so dissolving it with the power supply allowed me
to make oxides which responded to acids well, strong solutions fast.
Then you can practice crystalizimg stuff to purify samples of your hard work and learning projects.
Calcium acetate was fun and usefull, it is a great fertalizer and helps with blossom rot. Agg lime and vinegar was quick and safe way to make
something suitible for garden use. I found it fun to evaporate it on hot summer days for free. No overcooking it brownish. And if you stacked a few
rounded creek rocks it wicked the solution up for faster drying. Looked cool too. Probably could have used a lot of things but they were handy and
inert.
Plenty of ideas/threads here on the site, I just cant think off the top of my head what any of them were named. Though Im sure you will find plenty of
help.
Good luck
[Edited on 22-2-2017 by violet sin]
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j_sum1
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Congratulations on being one of the more specific and organised people to ask this question. It really sounds like you have the right idea.
Sulfuric acid from copper sulfate sounds right up your alley. I advise some proper glassware before you try nitric.
On phone at the mo so reply is brief. Look up my name on YT for channels that I have subscribed to that will give plenty of ideas and beginner advice.
I always learn a lot from vids. You can go deep fast if you follow someone else.
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Chemetix
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I loved extractions and organic purification stuff as a beginner. Getting a lot of organic stuff with oils and fragrance materials then going through
the process of extracting and purifying was deeply satisfying. I have to say though, that things that went boom or gave off coloured flames were also
deeply satisfying; hey, it was a more innocent time.
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Clonejeffie
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Chemetix can you use copper acetate to color flames?
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Clonejeffie
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J_sum1 are there any stores where I can get copper sulfate? Or should I just buy it on Amazon? And where would I get proper glassware?
Thanks for the suggestions
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j_sum1
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I bought copper sulfate from a pottery supplier. It is also used as a root killer and as a trace mineral to add to fertilisers. Sometimes it is
called bluestone. It is not too difficult to get.
Most of us around here get glassware from eBay. A lot of it comes from China and there is always debate as to how reliable it is. But at least for a
beginner I think it is possible to get good gear that way. Laboy, nanshin, reacware and deschem seem to be repeatedly endorsed.
Again, watch a few videos and see what glassware is in common usage. The bench mark is what you need to safely distill nitric acid. There are half a
dozen good videos on the subject with slightly varying methods. You will work out what is best for you.
I should recommend Nurdrage's early stuff for a beginner. He does a lot of cool things with quite basic equipment
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Texium
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Thread Moved
22-2-2017 at 07:43 |
MrHomeScientist
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I found my copper sulfate in a big 5lb tub from a "do-it-yourself" pest control place. Now I see it all the time at hardware stores in the plumbing
section as root killer for septic systems.
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JJay
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Obtain a dozen or so varieties of flowers and crush and place a small quantity of the petals from each in a matrix on a reaction plate (such as this
one: https://www.flinnsci.com/reaction-plates-96-wells/ap1448/).
Prepare several solutions with a range of pH values from 1-14 and test each on a sample of each petal and observe the color changes.
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Rhodanide
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Quote: Originally posted by MrHomeScientist  | | I found my copper sulfate in a big 5lb tub from a "do-it-yourself" pest control place. Now I see it all the time at hardware stores in the plumbing
section as root killer for septic systems. |
Yes, it's sold as root killer where I'm from.
BTW, pest control, you say? Never heard of it being used for that purpose.
What kind of insects are killed or repelled by it?
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Corrosive Joeseph
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Uses of copper sulfate, there are many. Where I live you can buy it at the farm store..................
https://www.copper.org/resources/properties/compounds/table_...
For the budding enthusiast I would recommend distilling solvents and alcohols from OTC products/paint thinners/etc and then preparation and use of
some drying agents on them........... Whatever you decide to do you will need plenty of these
Routes to compounds - Just decide what you want and what you have to do to get there..............
That will keep you busy for a while
Someone truly interested in chemistry will NEVER be bored...................
/CJ
Being well adjusted to a sick society is no measure of one's mental health
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MrHomeScientist
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I think it is supplied as algae and root control, those being "pest" plants in ponds and septic systems. Most google results are like this one, where it lists the "target pests" as algae.
I'll take a look at the little bucket of CuSO<sub>4</sub> I bought and see if it mentions anything else.
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Liamatpm
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I'd recommend making a fuel cell. It's easy and fun Cody's Lab (on YouTube) has a video on it. Actually go and watch Cody's Lab and you can finds lots
of things do do. Some are cheap some are expensive.
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