Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: jacksmart2000 on June 12, 2017, 08:43:43 PM
-
I hope this is the right place to post this, as this is for a lab I'm doing in high school.
I am looking for some sort of solvent (that is relatively easy to get hold of) which would be able to be used to separate Aluminum Oxide from other metals (such as Iron, Titanium, and Manganese) from the aftermath of a thermite reaction. I've tried using dilute solutions of both Sodium Hydroxide and Hydrochloric acid, but these don't seem to do the trick—at least not over a couple of days.
I would be so thrilled if someone is able to suggest something as it would greatly help me in planning my lab, and I would be able to get started with many different thermite reactions ;D ;D.
Thanks!!
-
Welcome, jacksmart2000!
Don't make any plans relying on a solvent for alumina.
You might perhaps melt the metals away from the oxide (I don't quite grasp the "other" metals) but this needs serious heat. The heat of thermite often suffices: the reduced iron flows away as a liquid. Look at some video showing how rails are welded together.
Aluminium reducing titanium from its oxide has been reported to work, but not easily. Or shall titanium replace aluminium instead?