Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Potassium thiocyanate reduction

biomechem - 8-1-2017 at 11:09

Does the reduction reaction of KSCN with carbon occurs like it is with KCNO? Will water extraction be a good way to purify CS2?

[Edited on 8-1-2017 by biomechem]

Boffis - 9-1-2017 at 02:46

? What are you trying to do? Make carbon disulphide from KSCN? If so do you have a reference to a known procedure?

Carbon disulphide is exceedingly volatile and would evaporate very readily if formed (carbon is not going to react with KSCN below the Mp of the latter). It is only slightly soluble in water.

biomechem - 9-1-2017 at 07:47

Quote: Originally posted by Boffis  
? What are you trying to do? Make carbon disulphide from KSCN? If so do you have a reference to a known procedure?

Carbon disulphide is exceedingly volatile and would evaporate very readily if formed (carbon is not going to react with KSCN below the Mp of the latter). It is only slightly soluble in water.


Reduction of KCNO with C occurs so I thought that it should analogously work with KCNS as both oxygen and sulfur are chalcogens.
I know that CS2 is volatile but with modified distillation setup it should work, if only this reaction occurs.

[Edited on 9-1-2017 by biomechem]

JJay - 9-1-2017 at 08:19

It might work, but usually, the combustion product of KCNO and C is CO. CS does exist in a gaseous state, but I suspect that making CS<sub>2</sub> out of it is nontrivial and would require reacting it with sulfur in a hot, oxygen-free environment. It's not necessarily impossible, but you'd probably have an easier time reacting sulfur with acetylene at high temperatures.