[skyjumper]

I have recently collected some ZnS with excess sulfur (and maybe a little zinc) My questions are how do I purrify the sample, to some extent. Atleast the sulfur removed.

Next, I would like to know about activation? When it's activated with either silver or copper, it glows on contact with alpha particles. I read on United Nuclear that there ZnS is activated by heating with silver to 1.5k C, and then "quenched" with copper salts. I have access to meker burners which should be able to create the heat, and almost any copper salt (or the materials to create it) and I supose I could get silver from the silver nitrate-NaOH ammonia sugar reaction... But would a "quench" in copper salts work?

[skyjumper]

I just proofread that post. Oh my... and I cant seem to find the edit button...

What copper salt should I use? is what I meant at the end, and is the silver really also necessary?

[BluRay]

I have recently collected some ZnS with excess sulfur (and maybe a little zinc) My questions are how do I purrify the sample, to some extent. Atleast the sulfur removed.

ZnS is not "sulfite" it's "sulfide".
You can remove sulfur dissolving it with CCl₄ and you can remove Zn dissolving slowly it with a *diluted* solution of HCl (if it's not diluted you dissolve ZnS too).

... and I supose I could get silver from the silver nitrate-NaOH ammonia sugar reaction...

I don't advise you to get silver in that way, it's dangerous (for you).

[skyjumper]

I work from a fully working fume hood, and have a respirator and face shield. I have done the reaction before, just never to actually collect the silver though. I also lack most organic solvents sadly. Any other ways to remove the sulfur? I believe it will react with HCl as well.

[BluRay]

I work from a fully working fume hood, and have a respirator and face shield. I have done the reaction before, just never to actually collect the silver though.

It was not that the problem, but the kind of problem that could destroy fume hood, respirator and important parts of yourself...

I also lack most organic solvents sadly. Any other ways to remove the sulfur? I believe it will react with HCl as well.

You can also use hot toluene to dissolve sulfur.

[skyjumper]

I would think hot toluene would be much more dangerous than the nitrate experiment. See: http://sites.google.com/site/nurdrage/chemistry-experiments/make-glass-mirrors-with-silver-nitrate
Get one gram of silver nitrate and one gram of sodium hydroxide. Then add enough water to both to completely dissolve them. Mix them together and you'll get a black precipitate of silver oxide. Then add enough ammonia to completely dissolve the silver oxide. Add four grams of sugar and mix well.

The solution will deposit silver coatings when its heated. If you heat it in a glass container it will deposit silver on the inside of the container. To deposit it onto a glass pane you can put the glass into a tray with solution and heat the tray from below. But do not let the solution boil. Boiling tears the silver off the surface.

Scrape it off, easy enough. Done it before.

Now back to the question at hand: What copper salt should I quench in? and how would I quench? Just rinse it with a coppper sulfate solution? or Copper nitrate? The silver shouldn't be necessary

[BluRay]

I would think hot toluene would be much more dangerous than the nitrate experiment. See: http://sites.google.com/site/nurdrage/chemistry-experiments/make-glass-mirrors-with-silver-nitrate
Get one gram of silver nitrate and one gram of sodium hydroxide. Then add enough water to both to completely dissolve them. Mix them together and you'll get a black precipitate of silver oxide. Then add enough ammonia to completely dissolve the silver oxide. Add four grams of sugar and mix well.

The solution will deposit silver coatings when its heated. If you heat it in a glass container it will deposit silver on the inside of the container. To deposit it onto a glass pane you can put the glass into a tray with solution and heat the tray from below. But do not let the solution boil. Boiling tears the silver off the surface.

...and use it immediately. If you instead would like to store the solution, you are free to risk your hands, eyes and more.

[skyjumper]

of course I would use it immediately! I'm not one for leaving solutions sitting out. Either way I obtain silver metal, can we please get back to the topic at hand?

[BluRay]

of course I would use it immediately! I'm not one for leaving solutions sitting out. Either way I obtain silver metal, can we please get back to the topic at hand?

Ok. There is a thing I haven't understood. You wrote:

<<I read on United Nuclear that there ZnS is activated by heating with silver to 1.5k C>>

You mean 1500°C? ZnS should already be vaporized, at that temperature.

[skyjumper]

http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16_17_69&products_id=218
Quote:
This is our specially manufactured Zinc Sulfide. It has been activated with Silver at over 1500 degrees, and quenched with Copper salts... making it glow blue when exposed to Alpha radiation. This is not the inexpensive "glow-in-the-dark" variety of Zinc Sulfide... this material only glows on exposure to Alpha radiation. Make your own Spinthariscope, or point an Alpha radiation source at this and watch it sparkle! Other forms of radiation (Beta & Gamma) do not make this material illuminate. A little goes a long way.

Im going to try "quenching" it with copper nitrate solution, then letting it dry. Worth a shot.

[BluRay]

http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16_17_69&products_id=218
Quote:
This is our specially manufactured Zinc Sulfide. It has been activated with Silver at over 1500 degrees, and quenched with Copper salts... making it glow blue when exposed to Alpha radiation. This is not the inexpensive "glow-in-the-dark" variety of Zinc Sulfide... this material only glows on exposure to Alpha radiation. Make your own Spinthariscope, or point an Alpha radiation source at this and watch it sparkle! Other forms of radiation (Beta & Gamma) do not make this material illuminate. A little goes a long way.

Im going to try "quenching" it with copper nitrate solution, then letting it dry. Worth a shot.

I wouldn't trust very much a site which states:

<<It has been activated with Silver at over 1500 degrees, and quenched with Copper salts... >>

without even specifing what kind of degrees they are and at which pressure.
According to wikipedia, ZnS sublimates at 1185°C (at standard pressure):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_sulfide