30 replies to this topic

[JamesH]

And store it in a airtight plastic pot, because it reacts with air to form Coppercarbonate ( Green powder )

I'm afraid your post is in error, copper (II) oxide doesn't react with air to give copper (II) carbonate

[fishy1]

I'm afraid your post is in error, copper (II) oxide doesn't react with air to give copper (II) carbonate

thought it was strange.

[neo]

sorry for using this old thread, but I didn't want to make a new..

to my question:
If I use electrolysis with copper to make this blue/green powder which I think is copper hydroxide? and then put it in the oven, will it turn to copper(II)oxide?

because, you can do this with iron, so I wonder if it works with copper too..

[fishy1]

sorry for using this old thread, but I didn't want to make a new..

to my question:
If I use electrolysis with copper to make this blue/green powder which I think is copper hydroxide? and then put it in the oven, will it turn to copper(II)oxide?

because, you can do this with iron, so I wonder if it works with copper too..

i doubt it, as copper is pretty unreactive, and is even used for electrodes.

[Pretty green flames]

Copper hydroxide is indeed a blue green solid and it will decompose to CuO when heated. You will proboly get better results heating it on a gas burner as the temp. will be higher and all the hydroxide will get converted.

[neo]

okey, great!

I have my electrolysis on now, so I will test it later today.
one more question, in one test I added salt (NaCl) to the water for my electrolysis, and then I got something that is brown/yellowish, anyone knows what that is?

[fishy1]

okey, great!

I have my electrolysis on now, so I will test it later today.
one more question, in one test I added salt (NaCl) to the water for my electrolysis, and then I got something that is brown/yellowish, anyone knows what that is?

some kind of chlorate?

copper chlorate?

[EnigmaticBiker]

okey, great!

I have my electrolysis on now, so I will test it later today.
one more question, in one test I added salt (NaCl) to the water for my electrolysis, and then I got something that is brown/yellowish, anyone knows what that is?

I would need more details to make an educated guess.
Probably a mixture of copper compounds.

What are the electrodes made of?
Is it soluble in water?
Is it deposited on one electrode only? If so which one?

I've used electrolysis to make FeO but not tried copper, did it work?

[neo]

the electrodes where made of copper and the other one was graphite (from pencils).
and it was produced from the copper electrode, which was on the plus pole (don't know the word..).
and no, it was not soluble in water, at least not very much, because it was very easy to filter out.

and well, it works so far, i have a quite nice amount of copper hydroxide, which I will heat to get CuO.
if it works, I'll let you know!

[phillmypintpot]

Oops, double post!

Edited by phillmypintpot, 22 September 2007 - 09:23 AM.

[phillmypintpot]

I've used electrolysis to make FeO but not tried copper, did it work?

Hi there, hello everyone!

I've tried, using a copper anode and cathode with potassium chloride solution as the electrolyte. My observations were:-

[phillmypintpot]

(1) Copper oxide formed at the anode.

(2) Hydrogen liberated at the cathode.

(3) Hydrogen reduces copper oxide to copper at the cathode.

(4) If the electrolyte becomes concentrated, chlorine will be liberated at the anode, resulting in the formation of copper chloride/ chlorate

(5) As the chlorine is liberated, the remaining electrolyte will be potassium hydroxide, maybe resulting in the formation of copper hydroxide.

My best guess, from my experience of this, was that the filtrand after all of the above had occured was a combination of copper particles, copper oxide(s), copper chloride and/or chlorate, copper hydroxide.

I dried the filtrand, 'nuked' it in an old microwave (which oxidised the copper particles & 'converted' the copper hydroxide to copper oxide). What was left was a green tinged black solid, which I assumed to be a mixture of copper oxide and copper chloride.

Was it of any use for anything?

God Yes! Mixed in a 4 to 1 ratio with aluminium powder, it made a very lively, easy to light, if a little *cough, cough* smoky thermite.

Edited by phillmypintpot, 22 September 2007 - 09:55 AM.

[YT2095]

actually copper chloride with Al powder burns very well also, you don`t have to convert to the oxide to make a thermit reaction, the Cl2 works just as well as the Oxygen.

and yes, it`s equally as Smokey!

the easiest way to get CuO is thermal decomp of either the hydroxide or carbonate, easily made with CuSO4 and K2CO3 or KOH, the PPT is the respective copper compound, that can then be washed and filtered and dried.

Edited by YT2095, 22 September 2007 - 08:35 AM.

[phillmypintpot]

actually copper chloride with Al powder burns very well also, you don`t have to convert to the oxide to make a thermit reaction, the Cl2 works just as well as the Oxygen.

I 'nuked' the filtrand to oxidise the copper particles, when the sparks had stopped flying and the whole mass was glowing a nice cherry-red colour, I removed it from the microwave, gave it a good stir and left it to cool.

[MDH]

Do you really think doing that is a good idea?

I have before burned several different powdered metals in an intert atmosphere with a slightly magnesium-enhanced fire to form oxides. I think it would be much safer...

Edited by MDH, 25 September 2007 - 09:20 PM.