Spoons

[Gwinterb]

I added a stainless steel spoon to approx 1.5 L of HCl acid, the acid turned dark green, I added Al foil it still stayed green but became greener, I also got what looked like carbon is that possible, was it green from Fe?

 

[ewmon]

Google: "hydrochloric acid" iron green, and likewise with aluminum.

[weiming1998]

Stainless steel contains considerable amounts of chromium, which is in solution as trivalent Cr3+ ions. Iron is also dissolved in solution. However, it is in the form of Fe2+ ions that are a light grass-green in colour. The colour of Cr3+ is a much more intense deep green. Thus, stainless steel dissolved in hydrochloric acid yields a much deeper colour than iron dissolved in hydrochloric acid.

I'm not sure why the solution looked greener after the addition of aluminium (optic effects due to precipitate of metal?), but the carbon-like particles are iron particles with traces of chromium in it. The aluminium displaced the Fe2+ and some Cr3+ out in a single displacement reaction.

Edited January 2, 2013 by weiming1998

[elementcollector1]

In fact, I've actually turned that green solution to the blue Cr (2+) with copious amounts of Al foil.

What do you plan to do with your solution?

[Gwinterb]

Sorry that was my fault I meant to say it became less green and more of a gray green ( haha I was pretty tired when I wrote that )

 

I'm just a teenager who enjoys chemistry and like to do that stuff on my garage, I actually don't have the solution anymore, I've moved on I'm trying to grow a copper sulfate crystal

 

I put about 850g in a mop bucket (I have no equipment lol) and used a car battery charger a copper cathode and a copper abode, I then filtered out all the blue gunk (Mg?) and now I'm waiting for the water to evaporate, I'm not sure what ill do next, probably something w/ H2O2 since I can concentrate it now that I have a hot plate

[hypervalent_iodine]

I don't have much to say on most of this thread as inorganic isn't really my area, but do make sure you're being extremely cautious with concentrating H₂O₂. IMO, unless you need to use higher concentration H₂O₂ for something specific, I'd avoid it altogether. If you do need it for something, freezing would be a better option as it won't decompose as much and it's less likely to set you, your garage and/or house on fire.

[Gwinterb]

And like I said I'm not sure what I'm going to do I just know 30% H2O2 is really reactive stuff, I also have stuff from a lantern battery that I want to use, for what I'm not sure but society doesn't make it very easy for people to buy chemicals I can't go to Walmart and buy FeO2 or Al powder I have to use handwarmers or etche-a-sketches and blend Al foil (when I get around to it)

Haha if organic chemistry was easy it be called biology

[hypervalent_iodine]

There are a few hobby chemists here who would gladly give you suggestions for work arounds if you wanted to try something new. You've not said anything that makes me think your idea is any less of a terrible one.

[elementcollector1]

For your copper sulfate solution, where did the sulfate come from?

H2O2 is useless in this application. However, if you wanted to make copper sulfate chemically from sulfuric acid, H2O2, and copper metal, that would be useful.