Re: Fuse in a Crucible ?
Virginia Boehm (gini@ix.netcom.com)
Thu, 20 Jul 1995 05:04:42 -0700
>
> "Mix [the ashes] with equal weight of sodium carbonate, 2 parts,
>potassium nitrate, 1 part, and fuse in a crucible."
>
>Any advice -- warning? encouragement? alternative? Since the Hunt
>Brothers crashed, I haven't been able to find a commercial enterprise
to
>take this paper. I have a small closed wood-burning stove vented to
the
>roof. Would the burning release poisonous fumes -- or, rather,
excessive
>poisonous fumes? Is this "crucible" what we would consider a blast
>furnace? I don't actually have a blast furnace, but do have a small
>crucible-like device, which might or might not heat sufficiently. Does
the
>"nitrate" make an explosive?
>
>Rationally, I think of the Chinese great-leap-forward
>backyard blast furnaces, or worse. On the other hand, The Yearbook is
a
>most authoritative publication -- and I do have a lot of sodium
carbonate
>on hand....
>
>Well, it's a thought. (Backyard fusion?)
>
>Judy
>
If you must, try it on a *very* small quantity of materials. While I'd
have to go back to my college chem books, and its been a long time, I
think you may wind up with some nasty fumes and a silver nitrate
residue that is not pure enough to be of any use and which creates
disposal problems of its own.
There are commercial processes involving the use of nitric acid that
will enable emulsion to be separated from the paper,and the silver to
be extracted from the emulsion,and precipitated for re-use, but I
wouldn't try this at home....
Gini