Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Unknown compound.

Pixicious - 12-3-2008 at 17:46

Hi, I'll give you a quick background to what I did.

Ran a few experiments and the remaining mixtures I placed in a saucepan all together.

What I discovered happed was I have a crystal (a very NICE clear crystal which formed at the bottom of the pan)

At about 10C it is a solid.
At about 100-150C it is a liquid.
The crystal is formed, like the copper experiments we all did at school at some time or another.
The crystal is clear. I thought it might be salt but the melting temperature is too low.
It is a fragile crystal, so I thought that at about 20C it would melt.

Several chemicals I used that day were Ammonia Chloride, Sulphuric acid, Sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.
I used a couple of others in small amounts.

If anyone knows what this sounds like it could be or has any ideas (unfortunately I left my ph reader at home so I couldn't tell the ph.)

The mixture had been allowed to stand for afew days for the crystals "to grow"

Any help would emence.

Pixicious

Duke - 12-3-2008 at 21:33

You should cite the others. Listing only some doesn't really help. And it's foolish to randomly mix chemicals.

woelen - 13-3-2008 at 07:39

It could be sodium sulfate 10-hydrate. This is a chemical which crystallizes well, forms big glassy/transparent crystals and "melts" when heated. It is not true melting, but the solid looses its own water of crystallization and the remaining salt forms a solution in that.

Further, I have to agree with duke that it is not wise to mix chemicals without knowing what you do. If you keep on doing like this, then I would not like to see you having stuff like KClO3 and other more or less energetic chemicals.

YT2095 - 13-3-2008 at 08:08

was there any Smell of Ammonia present at all?

in My opinion, the Least soluble of all those ions would be Potassium Sulphate, Sodium chloride and then ammonia gas given off.

However!.....

it Really all depends on how much of each was added stoichometricaly, without knowing that it`s Very hard (near impossible) to say.

Pixicious - 13-3-2008 at 15:13

I figured a few might have a problem with me mixing random chemicals.

I am careful.

There was a faint ammonia smell.

Woelen is more than likely right these reminded me of coral reef looking crystals.

They were beautiful to look at.

[Edited on 14-3-2008 by Pixicious]