Tacho - 8-8-2004 at 08:14
Kings chemistry survival guide (FTP) have a description of the use of pieces of aluminum foil in hexane as a catalyst to the H2 + Cl2 -> 2HCl
reaction. It says that using this catalyst the reaction proceeds smoothly.
The book is great, but I found a few things in it that make me believe that the whole book is more a compilation of procedures than actual experience
from the author. So, before I waste my time, has anybody ever heard of this aluminum foil thing somewhere else?
Just as an interesting note: the book says vanillin has a nice smell and taste. My experience with reagent grade vanillin is that it smells good
alright, but put some of it on your tongue and it stings in such an unpleasant way that any possible taste gets masked. It’s an awful experience,
and lasts long too!
thunderfvck - 8-8-2004 at 09:07
Just a thing about the vanillin...I'm sure when it's concentrated it has the burny taste, maybe you should try diluting it.
blip - 10-8-2004 at 17:27
Kind of OT, but I recently attempted salting out isopropanol from 91% solution with NaCl as described in the book and the different phases didn't
appear as they said. I didn't think it would work so I only did about 50 mL. I've also tried MgSO<sub>4</sub> as an
alternative (at the time it was for dehydration so it wasn't followed exactly in this respect) and there still was no separation. Btw a few days
ago I plated a small strip of lithium in i-propanol with magnesium using MgSO<sub>4</sub> in solution and a bit settled from dehydration
(some Li reacted with the alcohol though). I haven't tested yet whether all is magnesium, but I doubt it because hydrogen bubbles rose faster
than I would expect plain magnesium to before I removed and dried it. I may test this as soon as I get home using the Mg rod I found in my backyard
(I thought it was for cathodic protection, but it wasn't connected to anything). I may simply burn the strip and look for significant red, with
the proper safety precautions of course.