Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Getting powder Al from electrolyisis

eanardi - 9-12-2015 at 20:01

Hello everyone,
I have recently bought some aluminum sulfate do try to get some aluminum powder (or little particles) from it. The problem is that it's not possible to make aquous electrolysis with it, can anyone help me please?
Thanks

j_sum1 - 9-12-2015 at 20:24

Buy some Al powder.
Or make your own. I purchased a second-hand food processor and ground away at some aluminium foil. It takes some time but it works.Some fine sieves help to grade your product. I have heard that adding liquid while grinding helps a lot. But I have not tried that.

Dark Alchemist - 9-12-2015 at 23:26

Quote: Originally posted by eanardi  
Hello everyone,
I have recently bought some aluminum sulfate do try to get some aluminum powder (or little particles) from it. The problem is that it's not possible to make aquous electrolysis with it, can anyone help me please?
Thanks

If you want good quality Al powder I would recommend investing in a cheap rock tumbler some lead sinkers and a coffee grinder as he said.

Is it for lab use or pyro use? if for lab use small marbles instead of sinkers as the sinkers leave behind some lead dust that can contaminate your Al when used as tumbling media.

PS YouTube is your friend.

Dark Alchemist - 9-12-2015 at 23:27

Quote: Originally posted by eanardi  
Hello everyone,
I have recently bought some aluminum sulfate do try to get some aluminum powder (or little particles) from it. The problem is that it's not possible to make aquous electrolysis with it, can anyone help me please?
Thanks

If you want good quality Al powder I would recommend investing in a cheap rock tumbler some lead sinkers and a coffee grinder as he said.

Is it for lab use or pyro use? if for lab use small marbles instead of sinkers as the sinkers leave behind some lead dust that can contaminate your Al when used as tumbling media.

PS YouTube is your friend.

Chemist_Cup_Noodles - 10-12-2015 at 18:04

Hmm, it could be possible to do a replacement reaction with it instead. If you have some magnesium metal, use some filings of that. The reaction should be 3Mg2+(s) + Al2(SO4)3(aq)-->2Al3+(s) + 3MgSO4(aq). Just prepare maybe a 1M solution of aluminum sulfate then add 72 grams of magnesium filings bit by bit, over gentle heat initially. You'd get a good solution of epsoms salts too, which is nice. You could probably filter out an aluminum slurry from this. If I'm wrong about this someone please correct me.

Amos - 10-12-2015 at 18:34

I'm not sure if magnesium is even reactive enough to displace aluminium, but magnesium powder is often more expensive than aluminium powder, plus aluminium powder being generated in solution would likely immediately convert the aluminium being formed to oxides and hydroxides.

j_sum1 - 10-12-2015 at 19:29

Mg is more expensive, more difficult to obtain and more reactive than Al. So, in principle you cold use it. But you would still have to get around the hydroxide issue. I wouldn't bother with that route for a second.

Where are you located, earnadi? I know a supplier in Aus that can do 1kg of Al powder for twenty bucks. PM me if that is useful for you.

Fulmen - 11-12-2015 at 04:27

You cannot precipitate aluminum metal in water, it's simply too reactive. The only route to powder is to start with metal and grind/mill it down.

eanardi - 11-12-2015 at 17:07

That'd be useful if I didn't live in Brazil :( but thanks for the tip
All the information here was very useful, thanks everyone!

Sakomekieh - 12-12-2015 at 17:29

Quote: Originally posted by eanardi  
That'd be useful if I didn't live in Brazil :( but thanks for the tip
All the information here was very useful, thanks everyone!


I live in Brazil, too. You can simply build your own ball mill, it isn't that hard. There is many good videos teaching how to build a ball mill in youtube, you just need to search it.

eanardi - 12-12-2015 at 20:47

I'll start mine tomorrow. Just bought my motor, if you have one, would you mind sending me a photo of it?