Question about potassium chlorate? Only answer if you know exactly what your talking about!!!?

Question

I am currently extracting potassium chlorate from paper strike on box white match heads. I soaked 7225 match heads in some water overnight to remove all the white stuff off the paper and then put the white watery mixture on a plastic pan to evaporate the water, after all the water is evaporated there should be some crystal on top of the pan, after these crystals are scraped off it should be somewhat pure potassium chlorate. My question is: Can potassium chlorate ignite by a small amount of friction(such as when I scrape it off the pan), or by a small impact(such as if I were to put a gram of it in a container and then drop the container from a few feet above the ground?Are there any chemicals in white paper match heads that are strike on the box that would make it more sensitive? What are the precautions I should take when dealing with this stuff? I know not to mix with sulfurs or phophides because it'll make it even more sensitive.

Don't worry I am NOT trying to make a bomb or anything like that. I am actually doing a science experiment show some classmates how dangerous this stuff can be while not even in a closed container, but I don't want to hurt myself while trying to make it.

Answer 1

KClO3 is not shock or friction sensitive by itself and in principal cannot ignite on its own (since it needs a reductant), but as soon as it is in contact with organics or other good reductant, it becomes quite sensitized. I had a bad experience long time ago with mixing it with phosphorous. When handling the compound, make sure you do not have anything organic and powdery around (including wood or paper). When KClO3 reacts with chunks of organic matter, it might ignite them, but it may explode in contact with a powder of an organic matter or other reductant. Be careful with the match heads as well, since they also contain Sb3S2, which is a very good reductant.

Answer 2

I found the following when doing a Google search for "potassium chorate":

Potassium chlorate is a powerful oxidizing agent; do not store the mixture of sugar and potassium chlorate since this can detonate unexpectedly.

Use caution when taking potassium chlorate out of the bottle; scraping the compound roughly can produce sparking, which can cause the bottle to ignite or explode.

This reaction must be done in a well-ventilated area, or in a fume hood.

An amazing photo demonstration can be found at

www.angelo.edu/faculty/kboudrea/demos/instant_fire/instant_fire.htm

In my opinion, unless you have some legit reason for extracting KClO3, it would be much better for your health and well being to stop your extracting process. It can ignite spontaneously.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Experimenting with potassium chloride rather of potassium chlorate does not be as risky as though the student did it any incorrect way around. this is as a results of fact potassium chlorate is a robust oxidizer, can start up fires surely, is risky for our surroundings, and can be a constituent in risky combos while potassium chloride has not one of the above attributes. If the student examined the composition of the potassium chloride, he in all possibility did this via heating it interior the crucible. on the beginning up no longer something could take place and then with sufficient warmth the potassium chloride could have melted. Heating potassium chlorate could have generated oxygen gasoline and left potassium chloride.

Answer 4

You are going to be taught all you need to know soon. Play it safe and good luck. I would also like you to look at my site http://chaindropz559thphotos.blogspot.com/
Always read the Mine Safety Data Sheet on any chemical you use. MSDS for short.
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/p5620.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_chlorate
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Answer 5

"Do NOT expose to friction or shock" comes to mind.

You can't beat this data sheet on potassium chlorate.

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/_icsc05/icsc0548.htm

Actually, you can. You are untrained in the handling of K[ClO3] and need to leave it alone. You risk damage to property, serious injury, or death.

Answer 6

what are you trying to do?