RogueRose
International Hazard
Posts: 1585
Registered: 16-6-2014
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Water flocculation & sodium aluminate - getting 3 layers after mixing
I'm having a really odd reaction to the sodium aluminate that was made when I dissolved some hard drive platters in a NaOH solution. I know I had
excess NaOH in the solution, how much, I'm not sure, but I would guess I had 20-40% excess (about 1/2 mole) in the solution.
After the solution settled for about 24 hours, I had a 400ml solution that was thick on top 1/3 (and light grey w/ slight maroon color) and a few
"spheres" of white on the bottom with the foil - and the middle was kind of cloud.
I added 150ml of hot water, stirred until it was all mixed and poured into a new container. It settled and I have 3 layers, a bottom 15% is a white
cloud/thick, middle 50% is clear water/solution and top 35% looks identical to bottom cloud. There are a few drops falling from the top to the
bottom, looks like a couple snow balls falling per hour.
I'm wondering how this could have reacted so differently from just adding 150ml of water and changing containers. How do the different layers form?
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CRUSTY
Hazard to Others
Posts: 138
Registered: 5-6-2016
Location: Nearby
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Mood: High-Order
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How long did this last, and if it subsided, was the middle layer still hot/warm?
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