[xx0numb0xx]

First and foremost: Will this method of generating nitric acid work?
4Ca(NO₃)₂ + 8HCl  + 2Cu 4CaCl₂ + 2CuO + 8NO₂ + O₂ + 4H₂O
Gases forced into water or hydrogen peroxide solution
H₂O + 3NO₂  2HNO₃ + NO
H₂O₂ + 2NO₂  2HNO₃

It apparently works with NaNO₃ KNO₃ and NH₄NO₃, but I'm having trouble finding any results of attempts with Ca(NO₃)₂. The reason I want to do the reaction with calcium nitrate is because I can purchase twice the mass of calcium nitrate for the same price as potassium nitrate, yielding more than 1.7 as many nitrate ions.

Second: This one is more of a compound of two questions. I've been trying electroplating of copper. However, the only acid available to me has been hydrochloric acid. I made a CuCl + CuCl₂ solution by adding oxidized copper wires to hydrochloric acid. I also added hydrogen peroxide to speed the process up. I used no stoichiometric ratios; I just let the reaction go until it stopped. Anyways, I tried using this solution as the electrolyte for electroplating copper onto several different base metals. It would never adhere. The one time I managed to get it to adhere was when I was plating it onto a US nickel (25% nickel, 75% copper) as a cathode, and I had to agitate the solution almost violently. At all other times, it looked like I was depositing a loose mixture of Cu₂O and CuO that would come off when shaken and expose the base metal upon contact with anything. I've tried using currents from tens of milliamps to 8 amps with the anode and cathode always having ≤ 12 volts across them. The first part of this question is why does this happen? I understand that copper is pretty low in the activity series, but I didn't think that mattered when a flow of electrons was forcing the reactions to occur. I even tried plating copper on copper (my actual intention wasn't plating here; it was making a copper crystal as a decoration). The copper was deposited onto a copper cathode in what was like a reef of Cu₂O. When agitated, it would fall apart. When rubbed, the bare copper cathode was exposed with no signs of any permanent deposition. On top of that, the copper anode became covered in a white precipitate that would fall off when agitated. The second part of this question is: what could this precipitate possibly be?

Third and final question: I'm looking into buying some real glassware instead of using water bottles, plastic buckets, and kitchen glassware. What are some good sizes and quantities to start out with for beakers and flasks? Also, what's a good glassware supplier that's fairly reasonable with their prices? I'm not looking for extremely high quality glass that will withstand ten thousand kelvin, one hundred atmospheres, and hydrofluoric acid. Something that can hold molten tin, not explode before the stopper pops off when pressure is increasing, and not corrode after a couple years of use with hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acid would be perfect.

[Borek]

To your second question: what was pH of your electroplating solution? Have you attempted to purify the copper dissolved?

[xx0numb0xx]

To your second question: what was pH of your electroplating solution? Have you attempted to purify the copper dissolved?

The pH is probably pretty low because I highly doubt that the hydrochloric acid would completely react with the copper. I've boiled off some of the water (while probably decomposing some hydrochloric acid in the process), but it's a pain in the butt to remove the water from several gallons of solution. I currently have no way of accurately checking the pH.

[billnotgatez]

for glassware you might try the sticky at the beginning of the forum
I should check it again and update it but maybe you will find something

Keep in mind you need safety equipment as well