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Topic: Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?  (Read 25311 times)

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Offline fogman

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Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?
« on: January 06, 2008, 07:56:27 PM »
Is it possible to change Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate? i know that sodium nitrate can be chended by filtering it through potash, so will that work for ammonium nitrate?

Offline Arkcon

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Re: Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2008, 08:58:28 PM »
I know of no simple chemical method to change one ion for another quantitatively, unless an insoluble solid is formed, or a gas escapes.  The word "chended" does not seem to be an English word, you have a definition maybe? 
Hey, I'm not judging.  I just like to shoot straight.  I'm a man of science.

Offline constant thinker

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Re: Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2008, 09:55:27 PM »
I don't think there is any easy way of doing what you want but....

Adding potassium hydroxide to a solution of ammonium nitrate and heating it might work.

KOH(aq) + NH4NO3(aq) --> KNO3(aq) + NH3(g) + H2O(l)

You would have to heat the solution to drive off ammonia gas since gases become less soluble as you heat the solution otherwise you would only wind up with a solution of ions. This wouldn't be safe (hot caustic solutions can cause extreme pain and injury) and yields may not be that great if it even works.

Try finding an ammonium compound that isn't soluble or very poorly soluble in water.
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Offline Arkcon

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Re: Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2008, 10:40:48 PM »
I don't think there is any easy way of doing what you want but....

Adding potassium hydroxide to a solution of ammonium nitrate and heating it might work.


I think this is missing only one thing ... the word gently should come before heating. :o
Hey, I'm not judging.  I just like to shoot straight.  I'm a man of science.

Offline Borek

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Re: Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2008, 02:37:53 AM »
chended

My definition is: misspelled changed.
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Offline angeloposteraro

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Re: Ammonium nitrate to potassium nitrate?
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2008, 01:32:19 PM »
ive done exactly that by reacting ammonium nitrate with pottasium chloride, sold in the grocery store as no salt or salt substitute, just mix them in water, and put in freezer so that pottasium nitrate crystalizes out. be sure not to completely freeze tho, as this could ruin the crystals jus enough to chill the water. if no crystals form your solution isnt concentrated enough, add more of both reactants with excess KCl to ensure all the ammonium nitrate reacts. wash with water to purify. if you evaporate the remaining liquid you will have ammonium chloride and whatever KNO3 did not crystalize out.

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