[Limpet Chicken]

Ok, one of my rare posts outside the citizen chemist forum

Could anyone help identify the product from this experiment?

This was done with both lanthanum and cerium metal.
I had to use a spoon, as this was done in my bedroom as it is late at night;D
I liquify some pure ammonium nitrate prills, and while the nitrate is liquid, add in some small pellets of both lanthanum and cerium metal (in different spoons;D)

Continued heating the spoon, resulting in copious gas evolution (N2O I think)
the lanthanum was viciously attacked resulting in sparking and a small fire BENEATH the pool of liquified AN which quickly stopped.

*** Stop talking about eating Chemicals**--Mitch

Any ideas what this is? I don't see how an oxide of a metal could have a taste, as they are insoluble, maybe lanthanum nitrate via metal reduction of the AN?

Nitrous oxide was also a product I think, I ended up accidentally inhaling quite a bit of the fumes, and I feel kinda spaced out now as I type this

[Mitch]

If you continue discussing eating unknown chemicals we're going to have to ban you for a week. We take serious responsible Chemistry especially responsible Citizen Chemistry.

Now stop tasting chemicals, geesh. At least don't tell us if you do.

Mitch

[Donaldson Tan]

eeewwww..

 :footinmouth: :footinmouth: :footinmouth:

[Limpet Chicken]

It was certainly accidental, I must have got some on my fingers, the fused ammonium nitrate got pretty messy, I dried it out by using a conc. aqeous solution of ammonium nitrate, added the lanthanum, and boiled dry, the damn thing kept flash boiling, in smll spots and spitting dirty brown sludge everywhere

[Tetrahedrite]

NO3- = oxidising agent, will not form La(NO3)3, will form La2O3 + nitrogen oxide (as observed). Both Ce2O3 and CeO2 also theoretically possible. Most rare earth oxides are grey or white, where as the nitrates range from colourless to bright green (Ce(III) nitrate) or even purple (Nd nitrate).

[Tetrahedrite]

NO3- = oxidising agent, will not form La(NO3)3, will form La2O3 + nitrogen oxide (as observed). Both Ce2O3 and CeO2 also theoretically possible. Most rare earth oxides are grey or white, where as the nitrates range from colourless to bright green (Ce(III) nitrate) or even purple (Nd nitrate).

[jdurg]

Lanthanum oxide is a nice deep blue color, while cerium oxide and praseodymium oxide are nice deep green colors.  I should know this as I have a good oxide layer on top of my rare-earth metals.  Neodymium actually has a pinkish colored oxide to it.  I'd have to say that it's the heavier rare-earth elements (Those past europium) that have the grayish-white oxides.  

[Limpet Chicken]

What's left of the reaction looks like a smear of dark brown, whatever it is forms a hydrate it seems, as it refuses to dry out, even in very thin layers. The astringent effect of the brown reaction product is strong enough to make the fingers feel dry and cracked on picking up the spoon.

I would do further tests, with acids etc. but I unfortunatey don't have access to my lab at the moment due to problems with *Ignore me, I am a weenie* parents putting padlocks over the doors of my lab

Oh well, all that will be solved a soon as I get more KMnO4

[Tetrahedrite]

The "oxides" that occur on the surface of the metal most likely contain hydrated REE complexes, giving them their various colours. The true oxides I use to produce various copper REE arsenates are white (La2O3, Ce2O3, Pr2O3) or grey (CeO2).