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Topic: A mystery chemical!  (Read 5812 times)

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Offline reaper

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A mystery chemical!
« on: December 24, 2007, 01:47:29 PM »
Okay, so I followed a tutorial on Youtube to remove Manganese dioxide from batteries, and I had success. However, instead of finding a Zinc rod inside, it was this silvery paste stuff, it is highly viscous, and it is really cold. I believe it is Zinc Oxide, but I'm not professional, I attached pics. What is this chemical?  I have looked many times, and I have no idea what it could be.


Offline Arkcon

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2007, 02:26:08 PM »
Look at the label on the battery you disassembled, if it says it's an Alkaline battery, you will not find manganese dioxide anywhere inside it.  And wash your hands, before the alkaline component you've discovered burns you.

The old trick of getting manganese dioxide from batteries was best applied to a very old style, more common when I was young, not nowadays.  FWIW, if you want manganese dioxide, a good source is a 9 volt battery.  it contains 6 little 1.5V dry cells, stacked one above the other.
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Offline reaper

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2007, 03:18:35 PM »
dont worry, i wore latex gloves while doing this.

it was an alkaline battery, how could it not be MnO2? I placed it inside of H2O2, and it produced Oxygen.

Actually, I found both, the chemical I was after and the silvery stuff, but what is that paste like silvery stuff that was in the center of the battery

Offline Rabn

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2007, 06:54:24 PM »
it was an alkaline battery, how could it not be MnO2? I placed it inside of H2O2, and it produced Oxygen.


It could very easily not be MnO2. So you added it to H2O2 and a gas was produced.  Was the H2O2 oxidized or reduced? Was the gas O2 or H2 or N2? You seem to making a lot of assumptions. What you need to do is find the manufacturing specs of the battery, that will tell you what the electrochemical reaction is.  if it's patented, look up the patent on-line. 

Offline reaper

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2007, 08:15:10 PM »
I know for a fact it is not N2, I lit the gas on fire to check, so it could be H2 or O2.  In an alkaline battery, what is that black powder?

Offline Rabn

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2007, 09:05:04 PM »
You really should go to the manufacturers website to find out what the electrochemical reaction is. Why don't you post the make and model of the battery. That would be the most useful information you could provide. Aside from the specific electrochemical reaction for that particular battery, which in all honesty is what you should post.

Offline Borek

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2007, 07:09:32 AM »
Was the H2O2 oxidized or reduced?

None, or rather both (disproportionation). If it is MnO2 H2O2 will be catalytically decomposed.

Standard alkaline battery contains powdered zinc and manganese dioxide in KOH (see for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery). The only assumption needed is that the battery is typical.
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Offline Rabn

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Re: A mystery chemical!
« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2007, 11:20:34 PM »

None, or rather both (disproportionation). If it is MnO2 H2O2 will be catalytically decomposed.

Precisely my point. It was intended for reaper to look more closely at what happens to the H2O2 in the presence of MnO2.

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