Experiments in 2004
2004 was a busy year for me and the first that I cataloged my experiments almost entirely with pictures. Hopefully this inspires others to works diligently at their hobby and to learn from my mistakes.
April 10, 2004: Attempt to prepare hydrazine (NH2NH2) by reaction of urea (NH2CONH2) with nickel metal, nickel acting as a catalyst, forming nickel carbonyl in situ and its subsequent decomposition into nickel metal and carbon monoxide making it a true catalyst.
April 18, 2004: Prepared sodium metal by electrolysis of sodium hydroxide with nickel electrodes.
May 4, 2004: Attempt to prepare potassium metal from electrolysis of potassium hydroxide using a divided cell.
May 22, 2004: Attempts to prepare lithium metal though non-aqueous electrolysis of solutions containing lithium cations.
May 27, 2004: Attempts to prepare barium ferrate by electrolysis of strong KOH solutions with iron electrodes at moderate temperature and by fusion of ferric oxide with sodium nitrate.
June 13, 2004: Electrolysis of a solution of sodium chloride with graphite electrodes with constant magnetic stirring in the presence of acetone, an attempt at chloroform.
July 31, 2004: Preparation of mercuric oxide (HgO) from mercury metal and nitric acid followed by precipitation with sodium carbonate. Preparation of nickel oxalate from nickel chloride and oxalic acid, pyrolysis on a different day but covered here as well.
August 8, 2004: Preparation of bromine by reaction of sodium bromide with hydrogen peroxide and concentrated sulfuric acid. Distillation of HNO3 under reduced pressure from sulfuric acid and sodium nitrate. Distillation of sulfuric acid from commercial dyed drain cleaner.
August 15, 2004: Attempt to run a large scale Castner cell for the production of sodium metal from sodium hydroxide.
August 22, 2004: Another attempt at a sodium cell to make sodium from sodium hydroxide.
September 1, 2004: Attempts to prepare phosphorus by reaction of calcium phosphate with aluminum powder in the presence of amorphous silica. Also attempts to prepare sodium by electrolysis of sodium hydroxide in a cell that failed.
September 27, 2004: Experiment to make barium bromate by reaction of hot solutions of barium chloride with potassium bromate goes awry. Also another attempt to make hydrazine by direct distillation of urea with nickel powder shows some promise.
October 20, 2004: Preparation of bromine by reaction of a potassium bromide with potassium bromate in the presence of sulfuric acid at low temperature, bromine hydrate may have formed.
October 25, 2004: Electrolysis of lithium chloride solution in DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) with nickel electrodes at low amp and voltage.
December 4, 2004: Preparation of ethylene carbonate (-OCH2CH2OCO-) from urea (NH2CONH2) and ethylene glycol (OHCH2CH2OH) under reduced pressure.
December 28, 2004: Preparation of bromoform from sodium hypochlorite/sodium bromide and acetone.