Home Artists Posts Import Register

Content

Final Version.

Files

Lab Notes - Making Oleum - Successful - (April 21-2024)

These are my lab notes trying to make Oleum or Fuming Sulfuric Acid by amateur means. Turns out it is possible to do it with just a ceramic hotplate, sulfuric acid, and sodium bisulfate. Along with standard laboratory glassware. But so far the yield is around 13%. I'm trying to optimize it. The procedure is simply heat the sodium bisulfate on the ceramic hotplate and pyrolyze it until it becomes sodium pyrosulfate. Then let it cool and add in sulfuric acid. Distilling it again yields sulfur trioxide. Previous methods require much higher temperatures to pyrolyze the sodium pyrosulfate directly. Donate to NurdRage! Through Patreon (preferred): https://www.patreon.com/NurdRage Through Youtube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgKGGJkt1MrNmhq3vRibYA/join Twitter: https://twitter.com/NurdRage Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/NurdRage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurdrageyoutube/

Comments

Matthew Wilson

Have you considered using vanadium pentoxide as the catalyst? This is the method I’ve been planning. I have the quartz glassware, but I have still been hesitant on making oleum.

NurdRage

certainly an idea. I've just been reluctant to do gas phase reactions since they're so cumbersome.

Mono Keras

Nurd, I just made oleum by the full pyrolysis method. I got 25 g of pure SO₃ that I later dissolved in 60 mL of ~95 % H₂SO₄. I just wanted to know how you titrated the final product? With sodium hydroxide and phenolphtalein?

NurdRage

I used sodium carbonate and a pH meter. But I think your method of sodium hydroxide and phenolphthalein would also work