How to Test if Fertilizer Has Nitrates in it

[pyrotechnics100]

hey!!!!, why is this video unlisted???

[chockn]

thats not realy how you test for nitrates -.- there are 2 easier tests that come to mind when i want to test for nitrates.

[NurdRage]

@chockn I agree, there are lots of easier ways. Aquarium shops sell nitrate test kits directly. By all means post a video of whatever process you can think of. There isn't enough chemistry on youtube.

[chockn]

@NurdRage would you mind making those side by side? im out of the lab for the summer.

1)take your solution(fertilizer and a litle water) in a test tube. add iron(2)sulfate and add h2so4

2)take your solution. 1drop of 1-Naphthylamine, 1drop of Sulfanilic acid, 1drop of your test solution. if it reacts now its nitrite. if it doesnt, add a very tiny bit of zink and a drop of acetic acid. if it turns red/pinkish you have nitrate.

[NurdRage]

@chockn That is your easier test? I thought you had something that was easier and could be done at home. That test requires chemicals not as readily available as the ones in the video (hydrochloric acid, copper, aluminum and sodium hydroxide, all available at hardware stores and supermarkets)

Hardly "easier" if it requires lab chemicals rather than domestically available ones.

Might as well get an aquarium test kit.

[chockn]

@NurdRage in terms of cost they are definetly cheaper. and iron2sulfate is easy to make. sulfuric acid and some ironpowder and there you go.

for the other tests the chemicals are probably dirt cheap to get aswell. i could get them in a pharmacy over here for a couple coins.

hydrochloric acid is not available over here in supermarkets. so that makes a big difference for the way i think about certain things i see over on youtube. you are from the us or?

[NurdRage]

@chockn Hydrochloric acid is available in hardware stores, sometimes it's called muriatic acid.

Wait a minute, if you can get all your chemicals in a pharmacy (something which most people cannot do as pharmacies have become reluctant to sell chemicals to individuals with the recent terrorist-craze) Then being out of the lab this summer shouldn't be an issue. You can still film your reaction at home (or outside) and post your video.

[chockn]

@NurdRage over here you can get pretty much all the needed chemicals in a pharmacy. i asked you to film those two small reactions because you obviously have an HD cam :)

[NurdRage]

@chockn Unfortunately I am not over there and as such i can't get those chemicals. It's up to you film it. The cost it would be to me to get those chemicals (i'd have to buy from a chemical supplier which is VERY expensive) is probably lower than your cost to get it from a pharmacy for "a couple coins". You don't need an HD camera to make educational videos.

[PorkChopify]

Will the NO2 bubble into water to make nitric acid?

[mattg443]

What is the reaction at 0:40 when you add the HCl?

[WolfHideProductions]

You are probably the smartest person i know. Or atleast have seen on the internet!

[deadshot3006]

Hydrochloric acids is used fo rpools

[BlurConfusion]

or u can ask the person who sold it 2 u

[vmelkon]

Can you do something about gas mantles, which ones have thorium, which have yttrium? Can you do videos on radioactive materials?

[pjerd14022]

could you test just plain soil like that?

[sahme4]

sounds a bit like that dude of Saw, jigsaw.

[bugstalker]

@darkfang77 - odd. I recently purchased 31.5% muriatic (aka Hydrochloric) acid at a Lowes. 20% is considered the "standard". 40% is so strong, it is called "fuming HCL" because it fumes - working its way downward in strength. Labratory grade is 37%. I doubt you'll EVER see more than 40% unless it is fabricated artificially in a lab.

[LoveaaKarmenaa529]

hëy_I_fÉél_sõ_lonÊlý_tÒdÁY

[iskrugh1]

i love your voice, its kinda sexy lol

[darkfang77]

The muriatic acid which you can get in stores is yellowly/green & only contain <15% acid. Is there any way to purify it?

[purplemutantas]

@darkfang77 I was just looking at the MSDS for the klean strip safer muriatic acid. It contains <25% hydrochloric acid. My local megamart carries it. So stronger stuff is easy to find in the US. At least where I live.

[tort507]

you are a master of your craft

[TehNickIsNoob]

So... NSA investigating you yet?

[sarajane68]

NOVA GAS INCOMING!!!!

[coverboy92]

wouldn't you end up with NaNO3 after the ammonium-nitrate + NaOH reaction?

[microskole]

nurdrage is the best

[Arensx]

can we use muriatic acid ??? cause in my country its kinda difficult to get highly concentrated HCl

[goldminerish]

do you have to have a special fertilizer to make nitric acid. i need to make aqua regia to melt gold. I see lots of fert containing nitrogen but what type of fert specifically do i need?

[Legostunt542]

isnt there any other way to test it because im a beginner and i dont live in usa and i dont have alot of money

[pxmstr]

Dear Dr. L is there anyway to deactivate nitroclycerin as a locksmith I come across safes that have been attacked sometimes with nitro.......and it has been proven to be VERY deadly a solution would be welcomed sir

[pokerstud001]

And where exactly would be even begin to get hydrochloric acid? That doesn't exactly grow on trees.

[NurdRage]

@pokerstud001 neither do computers, but you seem to use one just fine.

[pokerstud001]

@NurdRage Hydrochloric acid isn't sold by the hundreds at stores. Is it? If it is, then sorry for bothering you.

[NurdRage]

@pokerstud001 home depot sells it under the name "muriatic acid"... in fact, almost all hardware stores (and some supermarkets) sell hydrochloric acid, mostly as a strong cleaner. Just look for hydrochloric acid or "muratic acid"

[pokerstud001]

@NurdRage Thanks! Is it really expensive stuff?

[fpm1979]

@NurdRage And I thave always thought the United States have so strict roules of health and safety. In most countries of western europe if not all, strong acids aren’t plainly sold to you.

[marcthepolo123]

@NurdRage if my fertilizer contains a high concentration of ammonium nitrate could it still be used to make nitric acid? like does it matter what nitrate salt is used to make it? love your vids btw :D

[NurdRage]

@marcthepolo123 Its best to first convert it to a metal nitrate salt. The easiest way is to mix it with sodium hydroxide, check my video "make sodium nitrate" for details.

[marcthepolo123]

@NurdRage ok thanks!

[adjuvants12780]

@pokerstud001 haha fail you fucking moron

[xRaIDeNx69]

@pokerstud001

I'm not kidding but Hydrochloric Acid is probably the easiest things to get a hold of (at least for me).

Look in your mom's cleaning cupboard or wherever she stores cleaning stuff and search for something that contains/is Hydrochloric Acid such as Spirit of Salt which is very commonly used to clean/unclog toilets.

[basoboii]

@pokerstud001 car shops

[flamingchucknorris]

@pokerstud001 he has a video on how to make hydrochloric acid. duh.

[almussalix]

@pokerstud001 lol. Yeah I know man, shit is so rare, you have to find one of those "Walmarts" which can be a daunting experience.

[knockout08]

1:27 you're using a bic crystal pen to stir that aren't you!!!!

[Caswalle]

can you use a base?

[explosives14]

Hi, what are some good chemistry camps near cincinnati Ohio?

[Almontmarine]

Actually the yellow thing isn't from fertilisers, it's from cold packs with NH4NO3!!!

[pyroman4811]

how do you make potassium hydroxide?

[djbiggyb]

Youtube: Teaching kids how to make Nitroglycerin for 5 years and counting

[neloistoogood]

y do all this when u can just buy fertilizer with the percentages

[3Bartsimpson]

your a terrorist dude



[beteroo]

One question, if I can't get any hydrochloric acid for this test what can I do? Do I have any choice make nitric acid ?

[veryslyfox]

Or you can just buy a freaking $4 nitrate test kit for aquariums. 

[Niobium94]

I can't make a reponse video here, but i have made a video of an ammonia generator with NaOH and NH4NO3. It's in my channel.

[globe255]

Oh and be sure to wear gloves (rubber) and safety glasses when dealing with acid.

[kitty6837]

I have a toothpaste that has 5% potassium nitrate. Can l use that?

[ThePhantomBlacksmith]

Nicely demonstrated....I'm a little confused though as to the significance of Nitrates vs Urea/Ammonia. Are Nitrates considered inferior or harmful in one way or another? Also, I'm a little puzzled as to where you marvelous alchemists are getting all these cool chemicals. I was just told in another video "use potassium nitrate, or salt peter to make this self-igniting." But these aren't exactly products I've ever seen lining shelves at the local hardware store.

[NurdRage]

@ThePhantomBlacksmith there are different camps on that issues. Personally i don't know which one is better/worse but i figure i'd give everyone a means of testing and let them decide for themselves.

As for where i get chemicals, i actually have a specific video "where i get chemicals". type it into youtube search to get to it.

[pokerstud001]

@ThePhantomBlacksmith Because some people want to use things in nitrate in it to make nitric acid, and then combine it with glycerin to make nitroglycerin.

[pachloc]

DUDE Your great

[gamealcohol]

does urea,make the same endothermic reaction as ammonium nitrate? because some fertilizers get really cold mixed with water,its because of ammonium nitrate or other?

[iamaGod357]

i notice in this vid

he spills concentrated acid and powdered sodium hydroxide. how exactly is this cleaned up?

[JuicyWubby]

is it okay if you use the anion test? by Adding sodium hydroxide solution and aluminium powder to the solution containing the nitrate ions. if ammonia gas is produced then nitrate ion is present?

[agrotis79]

What will give better results on plants in terms of growth...

Ammonium Nitrate or Urea?

[NurdRage]

@agrotis79 i'm told urea is better, but i'm unsure, you'll have to speak to a botanist about that.

[pickle699]

@agrotis79 out of those two ammonium nitrate and to get the best plant growth over all i would sugest a organic fertilzer made for compost or starting your own compost at home

[tony2lgamd]

@agrotis79 Urea is Better if You LEave in a hot country Because heat Decompose Urea to CO2 and NH3

But if u are n ot in a cold country then go for NH3NO3 { Ammonium Nitrate }

btw NH4NO3 Have 35 % N2 while Urea Have 46% N2

[discaras]

hey nurdrage is it a way to concentrate hydrochloric acid?I Have dilute hyrochloric acid around 5% but in some experiments I need concentrate hcl.Oh and another thing If you can tell me another way than bubling hcl gas in water.

[Astharot90]

If i haven't HCl, what can i use like substitute???

[123samic]

can you pour the nitrate mixture down the drain

[skateboy159]

hey if u boil kno3 water does it give off any gasses

[438426x1]

what do i do if i did this inside and the container has so much nitrogen dioxide i cant see through it? im afraid to open it....

[shorty124]

then you deserve it for doing it inside, duh

[TheCLockMen]

This the some gas used to make Nitric acid, right?

[Sergi762]

correct, it is.

[Nilss7]

So, you used the copper for making copper nitrate, removing HNO3 from the equilibrium and make it possible to use HCl instead of H2SO4, right? And the HCl+ Al as energy source, for getting the NO2 out....brilliant. So simple, yet an effective way to HNO3

[sciencoking]

i´ve made about 30 grams of ammonium nitrate, but it seems quite impure as it produces much smoke when heated... how can I purify the AN?

...or is this normal?

[donnelrj01]

That'll be your AN decomposing.

[sciencoking]

duh. That would not make smoke, silly.

NH4NO3 -> N2O + 2 H2O

I found it out myself. It´s ammonium chloride

[donnelrj01]

Why is your ammonium nitrate contaminated with chloride?

[deviance87]

probably used water to purify it that contained chlorine.

[philpay95]

he has such a cool voice (he is like darth vader the science teacher) :)

[zozo71zozo71]

hhhhh :-)))  you right!! lol

[chickenpuffs1311]

@philpay95 i think its a voice modulator, of course he has a good reason to use one becouse people these days cant learn about and/or teach physics and chemistry anymore without the risk of getting arrested.

[GGRSC]

nice, you are a grad student or a PH.D. I'm assuming

[wowggscrub]

will this test work for black powder ?

[wowggscrub]

also im having trouble finding online companies that will ship HCL , do you A way to make HCL or any sites TY. -steve

[cingeath89]

@wowggscrub You can buy it at hardware stores. I bought it at TSC, no questiones asked. Its called Muriatic acid, around 10M(30%) HCl

[TheScienceTestTV]

Koragofmagic asked me to ask you:

"i NACI THAT YOU USED SODIUM HYDROXIDE

[pyropakman]

For some reason, your videos always make the liquid level higher than what you describe. Are your beakers just really skinny? For 15 mL to more than cover the bottom of a standard beaker seems a bit of a stretch.

[MommyKiller1]

oh gee im talking to a bunch of nerds

[YdeckW]

The brown ring test would be a good alternative, and I think it is more sensitive, though there may be some anions that interfere (but I'm not certain they are used in fertilizers, so maybe this could be good as well).

[NurdRage]

it is more sensitive.

But this test is more or less for "high concentrations" of nitrates. If it passes this test then you can go on to make nitric acid.

Lower concentrations would pass the brown ring test. But not be viable to make nitric acid.

The brown gas test here would fail that and thus save you the time and effort.

You are right though, the brown ring test is another alternative if you're not interested in making stuff with nitrate, just determining it's presence alone.

[bla287]

First of all: Interesting nitrate test! Did you develop that method by yourself?

But there's still another (less toxic ;)) alternative for bulk quantities of nitrate:

Dissolve a sample of the fertilizer in a little water and make it strongly alkaline with NaOH.

(If you can smell NH3 already now => it has ammonium ions. In that case you have to boil off all NH3 until it's completely gone)

Now add some strips of aluminium foil, and if it has nitrate then it will be reduced by the Al (cont)

[bla287]

(cont)

all the way down to ammonia, which then can be detected by its smell, it's alkaline reaction (hold some wet pH paper into the tube) or its typical gas phase reaction with HCl, if you hold a glass bar with some drops of HCl on it into the tube it should produce that white NH4Cl smoke if NH3 is present.

[NurdRage]

Whichever one is more convenient for you, or better fits your available equipment, go for it.

[bla287]

Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate your vids, they helped me a lot! But where I live, laws on chemicals are very strong (e.g. it's almost impossible to get even basic things such as H2O2) so I often have to take alternative routes :/

[MikeMotes]

where is that?

[stylcd]

The superior way to test for NO3- ions is dissolving it in water, adding a strong NaOH solution then add aluminium foil.

NH3 should be given off and this can be clearly smelt if NO3- ions are present.

[NurdRage]

If ammonium carbonate or bicarbonate was the fertilizer (and such a fertilizer is used often in some parts of the world) the reaction would produce ammonia gas when no nitrate is present. Therefore it would give a false positive. But the acid copper method in this video would not be fooled.

Your test is not a "superior way to test" as you so claim.

[rawdogm56]

is murtic acid and HCl the same thing

[jbohbot1]

yes

[yahoorif]

is there is any acid to replace the hydrochloric acid?

[NurdRage]

sulfuric acid

[kenfo0]

your post: "sulfuric acid". are you replying to the guy who asked if muriatic acid is HCL? It is HCL.

[NurdRage]

@kenfo0

no i was replying to yahoorif

[kenfo0]

thanks....ever since google took YT, comments don't line up right (it is now, but wasn't when I asked) and I can only post two comments anywhere before having to enter a code.

[NurdRage]

@kenfo0

indeed, it is rather annoying. Often I'm an ass toward trolls. But sometimes the comments don't line up and it looks like i'm treating some poor viewer like a troll.

Makes for great comedy though.

[foxxchasser2]

i use aluminum nitrate fertilizer

used it to make laughing gas once

[88Bellamy]

Great video! Do you know of a way to test exact NPK ratios in liquid fertilizer? I can only find soil test kits but was thinking maybe if I ran the mixture through perlite or any PH neutral growing medium then used the soaked medium in a soil test kit it should give me a good idea of the NPK of the fertilizer? If anyone knows about this then please let me know!

[milotickz]

Is a nitrate fertilizer too dangerous for plants?

[NurdRage]

nitrate is good for plants, but it depends on dosage.

The test is primarily for those using nitrates for other purposes than fertilizer (such as for making nitric acid) or for those who are just curious about chemistry.

[Rsalex6670]

What happens if its an over dose? Will it kill the plants?

[nickrohn93]

why would it be in fertilizer if its bad for them? hence the name "fertilizer"???

[Mrluisao17]

outside*

[NurdRage]

backyard far away from your house is fine.

[Mrluisao17]

ok thanks

[Mrluisao17]

when you say uotside you mean like a bakyard?

sorry for my english im from portugal:)

[Redlend]

Why does it matter if the aluminum foil is tightly rolled?

[NurdRage]

it bubbles form so fast that it goes outta control and the acid overflows everywhere.

not fun.

[360elite4free1]

hopefully no terry wrists watch this >:(

[HaydenPK]

whats the reaction between ammonium nitrate and potassium hydroxide?

is it Ammonitrate+potashydrox--> potassium nitrate+ammonia?

[pauldonald]

looks yummy i would love to drink some of it

[peppersprayinthebutt]

A very broad question: who is your main supplier of chemicals?

[NurdRage]

alfa aesar

[peppersprayinthebutt]

Thank you! :)

[blidderbla]

cool vids :d thc.

Is there any acid you cant put in a glas container? what could it be put in then?

[NurdRage]

hydrofluoric acid cannot be stored in glass containers. It must be stored in teflon or passivated metal containers.

[kallevigabc12]

is there any other way to test it without using expensive hydrochloric acid

[NurdRage]

sulfuric acid would do it.

[wattapassa]

why is your HCl yellow?

[NurdRage]

it was contaminated acid that we had leftover from another reaction. instead of wasting it we decided to recycle it for this experiment.

[rofl082193]

ok cool it started gassing like hell and then the jar broke open (after NaOH test). now im wonderin how to extract the AN....water didnt work too well the last time

[rofl082193]

lol now what if the fertilizer doesnt dissolve at all?

[NurdRage]

it's either organic, coated with a slow-release agent that needs to be crushed, or its not nitrate based at all.

[rofl082193]

ah ok, well it says it says it has nitrogen plus phosphoric acid and potash. does the potash count as organic?

[NurdRage]

nope

[aussieskinhead]

whats a good brand of ice pack to buy??

[mahyarmohaghegh]

im in love with u

[civmaster50]

ammonium nitrate is more easily bought as instant cold pack lol

[asianspark]

Urea is Ammonium Nitrate right?

:/

I dont have sodium hydroxide....

[NurdRage]

no it is completely different.

[asianspark]

Oh,I messed up earlier.

Urea is urea

AN is AN.

lol.....

[RejectedManiac]

If I do the test like the one in the last part the ammonium nitrate test. If I test this on ammonium sulfate would I get a false positive for ammonium ntirate since ammonium sulfate has ammonia?

Thanks

[NurdRage]

not really. Because ammonium sulfate would fail the first test for nitrates. So you wouldn't be fooled.

Thats why you should perform the first test first.

[RejectedManiac]

Ok. I have a video on my channel of the second part of the test with lye. I will try the first part tomorrow morning. Thanks

[swatboy50]

lol and i quote: but we are nerds, so.

lol that made me crack up

[zabob276]

Where can i get these chemicals? Please Help!

(BTW I LIVE IN CANADA KINGSTON ONTARIO!!!)

[vmelkon]

@zabob276 Home-Depot, ACE hardware and any such hardware store. I'm in Quebec so I got mine from René Depot. They call the HCl by the old name - muriatic acid. It is about 10 mol concentration (very high!) It is fuming!

[matt357]

IM NOT A NERD U FAGGOT U ARE

[NurdRage]

its not derogatory if that's what you're thinking.

[zabob276]

He doesn't mean it like an insult, but meaning that we're smarter than most.

[alexmortillaro]

this is weird i mixed ammonium nitrate with water and sodium bicarbonate then put copper pieces in the water and oxidized the copper for copper carbonate this made that yellow water like yours in the video very cool stuff.

[Onyxwolf3]

Hey you should do a video about the reaction of sulfuric acid and nitric acid acid in an ice bath. Put cotton balls in the container with your acids, then rinse them (very very thoroughly) and the cotton will become gun cotton and go up in a ball of flame. It's really cool, and would make a great video. Also, there are other methods of doing the experiment, if you have better equipment (which is highly probable...)

[elliotmotoX]

How do you extract the Nitrates out of the fertilizer?

[NurdRage]

all of that information will be in the video when it comes out.

[bugmenot143643]

how do you know all this?

[NurdRage]

i went to school, and payed attention in class.

[DrNick1231]

ok, great thanks, how much have you achived for this experiment and what method are you hypothesizing that might work?

[DrNick1231]

is it possible to react the nitrogen dioxide gas produced with water and oxygen (not sure how exactly) to produce nitric acid? and if so, what would the procedure be and the hazards that might accompany it?

[NurdRage]

you are absolutely right, and we are currently working on a video to do exactly that (although with more sophistication and better apparatus). Hopefully it will be out in a couple of weeks.

the major hazard is that it's impossible to capture every single wiff of nitrogen dioxide so it will eventually reach lethal concentrations in whatever room you do it in. Therefore it must be done outside or in a fumehood.

[lampe93]

what is hydrochlorid acid exactly und where can i get it?

[NurdRage]

hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water.

it can be obtained from plumbing and hardware stores.

[chudroy]

what is actually the point of testing if it has nitrate in it? i dont get it sorry :s

[NurdRage]

to find out if it has nitrate.

[chudroy]

i know if its to test out if it has nitrate but what diference does it make with or without nitrate? is nitrate bad? sorry if i didnt specify too well in my question :s

[NurdRage]

For the gardener: Ammonia seems to be better absorbed by plants.

For the chemists: nitrate rich fertilizer is useful for making potassium nitrate or nitric acid.

[megafeltch]

if you mix hcl and kno3 dosn't it also make a highly toxic byproduct "nitrosyl chloride"

[NurdRage]

and thats why this experiment MUST be done outside or in a fumehood.

[megafeltch]

ok but how do you dispose of it after the experiment

btw good video

[NurdRage]

you can mix the chemicals with sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate to render them inert. Then filter and dump the fluids down the sink with PLENTY of water. and the solids you can throw out in the trash, or an even better way is to take them to a municipal waste disposal center labeled as "heavy metals"

[megafeltch]

thanks

i was wondering if you could nitrate cotton this way or will it only make dinitrocellulose or not work at all

[elliotmotocross]

Nice work! :P

[Hally2710]

is there a way to make ammonium nirate? and if there is how?

[NurdRage]

dont you already have it when you made sodium nitrate?

[Jiraya12345]

You guys should really put a warning at the beginning of this video- NO2 is some seriously dangerous shit. 200 ppm is enough to kill you in a cruel, agonizing fashion (pulmonary edema).

[NurdRage]

warning is in the video and in the video description.