How to Coalesce Potassium

[david1991rules4life]

lol it's awesome how it makes patterns on it when it cools, sorta reminds me like the Pandora's box, somehow, like from tomb raider. but I know it wasn't sphere but the principle of a thing where life came from :L

[BaanTech]

How much hydrogen is released from doing this???

[KhakiBlueSocks]

There is no way I'm brave enough to make this stuff, but I find it really interesting! I have a question:when you reheat and coalesce the potassium, does that renew its shelf life or does it still have to be used within a certain timeframe??

[SodiumMonoCrapolate]

I've noticed that stored potassium in kerosene still develops a dark grey coating. Would adding small amount of a tertiary alcohol to the kerosene aid in long term storage of potassium? What about no kerosene, just tertiary alcohol?

Thanks! Awesome videos!

[TimKa928]

brillian!

[SpaghettiAttack]

Can I do this with lithium? Will lithium still melt before the mineral oil boils? Will it coalesce like this? I can now get strips of lithium from batteries fairly easily thanks to you, but they are so thin that there is more oxide than unreacted metal :/

[DeRex9]

thank you for great video

[5216l]

mini death star

[apard7]

if you leave it too long in mineral oil it turns to explosive right? .. just chuck the glass bottle at a wall INSTANT BREACHNG CHARGE! :D

[sunnyjason]

it looks mesmerizing.

[icyfireball8]

I look every day for a new video to no avail =[ owell, I can wait I suppose =P I know nurdrage is a busy guy

[Errorhunterable]

@CaseyRedDragon Potassium after a few months in temporary storage makes a thick black coating that is sock sensitive (like a fall) and can cause a large explosion and with time the coating gets thicker.

[DeathaceGames]

Does this work for Sodium?

[CaseyRedDragon]

at 1:00 he says "This sample is a week old so its still safe to handle" what does he mean by that?

[uruglytoo]

@CaseyRedDragon if potassium is stored too long it becomes a shock sensitive explosive

[Esine69]

Hello,

Is this possible with lithium metal. Lithium bits to one solid mass.

[sanar1s]

Hey! You can show people how to make black ink with simple aniline black synthesis, it is practical but not industrial ))

[lunarjog]

So far I've only seen a few of your videos but I just have to say they impress the heck out of me. You're a real pro for putting up such excellent and informative material.

[MrFivestarpk]

lava lamp?

[RagingBubuli]

Greetings fellow Nurds! I want to play a game...

[infernape425]

i hope you will do a vid on thermite

[mcwario13]

Next Please show how to make Sodium Potassium or NaK

[F4LL3NUnKnowN]

Im learning chemistry right now anyone want to refer me to books to learn what this guys learning?

[BlackFishSS]

We've just figured it out, this is Egon Spengler narrating and making these videos!

[GroundPhobia]

wuts up with the stupid voice..?

[silentlightning04]

@GroundPhobia must be sulfur hexafluoride XD

[GroundPhobia]

@silentlightning04 lol 

[samwise1086]

DO FRANCIUM EXPERIMENTATION!

[GeorgeChar95]

@NurdRage i got some magnesium from school. Do you know how i can store it somewhere without reacting with air producing MgO?

[parkerstoybox]

@GeorgeChar95 magnesium is totally different it doest react with air

[TerminvsEst]

Just how can a potassium fire be put out?

[zimtower]

@TerminvsEst I don't think they can be put out, you could try to use a CO2 extinguisher to attempt to suffocate and cool it down, but it would just re-ignite.

[stbmoo]

@TerminvsEst

Im pretty sure metal fires run better on CO2 than on oxygen. i watched a vid explaining it.

[bgmoney99]

Make more vids

[llowwwkeyy]

Awesome.

[Pagweb]

MrBlueicedragon

[Pagweb]

@Pagweb Lol, I was going to look up the comment but entered the name on the response box. Silly me.

[mikeymikemikey1]

@Pagweb hahaha I've done that before, makes you feel like a right dumbass

[1998670]

Hi , can you make video about complexoneIII , i need help i dont know how to use it?

[1998670]

Hi! Can you make a video about complexone III , i dont know how to use it?

[Theiyidogan]

@NurdRage Hi there! i was wondering if you consider to make tutorial for produce Salt of Molybdenum. I have a little garden and im struggling with lack of this element. Its needed especially for Cucurbitaceae. Thanks for all the informative videos and greetings from Turkey!.

[laromande]

Can you make the same experience with the others alcalis?

[ultimateloon]

You, sir, are awesome!

[Taiils6000]

haha i love your vids woot for science <3

[MCchomper]

When are u making a nother vid

[mikeyman6129]

What happens if you touch the potassium when its cooled?

[VBEducation1]

@mikeyman6129 nothing happens

[ObviouslyHutch]

YOUR VOICE! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

[reviathon360]

oh PLEASE do electrolysis :D

[chemistryizcool]

@NurdRage hey can u do jumping sodium?

[Thatguywithlogic]

Make a video about ferromagnets if you have the time.

[metalElvalover]

What's the first new video of the year gonna be?

[r3v1xx]

Wow, that looks nice!

[MrBlueicedragon]

you know what would be tight is if u made a vid of cool party tricks that are easy and safe

[TheEightBitLink]

@MrBlueicedragon 'Tight'? 'u'? 'vid'? 'PARTY TRICKS'? This man is a professional chemist. Now get out of the lab before you hurt yourself.

[nanotech2080]

@TheEightBitLink You feel superior, dont you, cunt?

[TheEightBitLink]

@nanotech2080 Not just feel, I am.

[nanotech2080]

@TheEightBitLink Orly? Maybe he was just a kid.

[TheEightBitLink]

@nanotech2080 watch?v=zS4WXKDZ-GE

Look at that video. Note that he is working with other professionals and the fact that he is in a professional lab. I'm pretty sure he's not 'just a kid.'

[nanotech2080]

@TheEightBitLink Oh god, i was talking about the guy who you replied to.

[Bear5177]

Amazing.

[langhalsen]

Why do u use voice changer?

[EricaEE1]

Can you please do a few things on magnitisim? The uses for magnitisim or something like that. Thanks!!

[AlienWare2030]

Can you become my science teacher i seem to understand you more

[Zeezjay]

is that your real voice?

[MrSamuli1000]

@Zeezjay Yep,it is his real voice.

[MacroVamp]

Is this possible to do, if you bought the potassium, instead of making it? And in that case, would any alcohol be sufficient?

I'm thinking on writing my Extended Essay on this!

[figaro755]

I don't understand any of that.

[halofreaker132]

i have no idea what you said, i just think it's cool watching that stuff :D

[itsmuSic91]

This is so cool!!!!

[at9456]

Hello nurdrage i see some vids on YouTube about how to make nitric acid with a neon transformer. It's true? Can You make a vid making it please. Thank you.

[89gtu]

@NurdRage please make a vid on silicon crystaline if I I'm explaining it wrong sorry I'm a noob.. I want to make a solar cell..

[VBEducation1]

@89gtu theres a vid from him that shows you to make one using rasberry juice

[EPICT0ASTER]

Is it simply the convection currents that make the smaller potassium spheres float to the top?

[maakjar]

That's great!!!

[pietrop85]

Cool... can you do any experiments with molten Solar Salt? (40% potassium nitrate and 60% sodium nitrate). Thanks

[MassimoC86]

Could this method also work with Sodium and where I can find one of those suitable alchools?

BTW your videos are really interesting, thanks for making them.

[VBEducation1]

@pwolfe1987 if you posted that comment on my vids, i wouldve removed it in a flash!

dont advertise on pplz vids man its just not cool

[jojo19001]

can you show how car run on water?

just for science

[SargentLimpDick]

So what's your next vid gonna be on? electrolysis? *fingers crossed*

[antiswattt2]

@SargentLimpDick thats my best bet on making alkali metals too.. tho i was so dumb that i didnt see by melting KNO3 and giving it electricity would make the K metal get into contact with the molten KNO3.. guess i just didnt really think K would react with KNO3 because its the same metal?? industrially they use NaCl and melt it at 800* celcius..

[SargentLimpDick]

@antiswattt2 You could try fractional distillation.

[antiswattt2]

@SargentLimpDick how could fractional destillation be used for making alkali metals?? o.O

[SargentLimpDick]

@antiswattt2 Apologies I misinterpreted your comment. For some odd reason I thought you were trying to break apart NaCl lol... =/

[antiswattt2]

@SargentLimpDick but i somewhat was.. (: just with a nitrate instead, but i was told that the molten sodium nitrate would react with the molten (also molten) NaNO3?? if there somehow would be made an way to make the sodium NOT react with the molten nitrate?? s: but is it really possible for the same alkali metal to react with itself as metal to nitrate??

[SargentLimpDick]

@antiswattt2 Well I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think alkali metals react with each other anyway. You would have to force conditions in which it would work. Am I right? If not could someone with the knowledge correct me =)

[antiswattt2]

@SargentLimpDick exactly my thought, because then it would be very easy to make alkali potassium and sodium from molten alkali metal nitrates (:

[TheSpear3]

I already subed and liked

[AMchemistry]

Are you going to post a video on your lab in the future?

[brendawsome6]

amazing

[turf7227]

watch?v=dfNByi-rrO4

I would LOVE to see a video on this from NurdRage!

[zackarydemon]

happy 100th video! :)

[XIspartaAFK]

Imagine how scared people would be if you threw this in the water while they were watching.

[hydrox24]

I wonder if inspiration for things like the cube in trasformers came from the texture of potassium?

[wb5rue]

I have a question about over the counter mineral oil. It appears to have some water in it because when I've stored metals such as Lanthanum they still tend to decompose a bit. Would "boiling" the mineral oil for a period of time dehydrate it or should I look for a more pure form?

[mshuangqianzhi]

fking adtube

[masterjackie1]

Congratz!! its your 100th video!

[wb5rue]

@masterjackie1 ...and there was much rejoicing.....yeah...

[evanmythbusters]

Nurdrage do discover this stuff yourself

[JaiNobesIsARat]

I've finished my A-level in Chemistry and now I'm doing a degree in Psychology.

My god how these videos make me question my decision...!!

[shadowman19991]

how can you concentrate hydriclohric acid

[MrTurboturbine]

can you do a video about cholesteryl ester liquid crystals?

[Fourteen88SoCal]

cooooooool!

[Sophesumer]

@NurdRage

I discovered your channel and glanced at the description for a few videos and thought to myself "Well, looks like I'm just going to have to watch em all. In order. Now. "

[je2555]

100 videos, Congrats!

[oopheemont]

I would like to see a reclamation process to! Please as I am struggling with a mass of digested metals that look like a mineral rich clay :(

Thank you 100 X.... excellent presentations, YOU ROCK.

[cryophile]

Nice experiment! Could you do a video on reclaiming precious metals from electronics?

[MrNazgul12a]

That was beautiful at the end. I agree with @retsaoter and a high-res shot of a sphere next time you make one WOULD make a gorgeous background. :D

[arsss233latvietis]

Why is Asa Akira goes deep in the sugested videos???

[iced199]

Happy 100 videos!!!

[6FaceDrak]

poop

[Arkantos013]

GOOOD!!! NICE VIDEO!!

[rockstar0123210]

I used to make potassium balls, but I took an arrow to the knee

[Y0pbe]

@rockstar0123210 Old.

[rockstar0123210]

@Y0pbe thats what she said.

[rapsod1911]

Can you make Novolac (sort of Phenol formaldehyde resin)???

[raiken821]

I may know absolutely nothing about chemistry, but I do love watching this because that just looked so cool, and I kept thinking of Beryllium sphere and Galaxy Quest. lol

[MrTurboturbine]

what if you purged the container with argon then pulled a vacuum on it and stored it that way?

[NurdRage]

@MrTurboturbine most amateurs don't have serious vacuum/schlenk line apparatus so thats why i didn't mention it.

but if you have the appropriate vacuum capable containers then go for it :),

[Ypnovatis]

@NurdRage It would work but it's mostly about the container, isn't it ? The vacuum will eventually break and cause the shelf life of K to shorten.

[burninmunkeys]

@NurdRage Any chance you could show and give pointers on how to create a vaccuum and how strong the material has to be to withstand said negative pressure? Also, next time set the escaping hydrogen gas on fire XD

[s0m0c]

what a perfect sphere!

[Palladowy]

I really like your videos. They're shows semi-professional synthesis and purifying products of those synthesis in household requirement. It can fascinate amateurs of chemistry and normal people to be a chemist. I admire desire to make this viedos.

P.S. Sorry for my english, but it isn't my national language and i'm only 18 ;)

[RickJReynolds]

but wat happens wen you tip it out of the jar???..for the ignorant!

[lxTheDukexl]

If only this was somehow useful to me. :p great information though. really cool

[MrIlikegadgets]

wow good method never thought of doing that

[Ikelae]

I love your videos, they teach me so much you are a wonderful teacher. Please keep up the amazing work!

[SamuelSlowMotionTV]

I like how all the videos im watching are about newyears and Christmas and then this one comes and is "How to Coalesce Potassium"

[frenchcalc]

100 VIDEOS! CONGRATS NURDRAGE!

[frenchcalc]

DUDE YOU ROCK THANKS BRAH

[SnowWalkerPrime]

Beautiful.

[lazerman22314]

So pretty O.o Is it edible?

[bj906]

I hate the new sound that youtube makes when you thumbs up comments.

[SargentLimpDick]

@bj906 Nice try

[gorillaz6399]

@bj90 I love the sound that is made when hitting the dislike button on your comment.

[ManicTheManic]

How would you put out burning potassium?

[SargentLimpDick]

@ManicTheManic I too am curious. I did a quick search, but no success. 

[michalchik]

@ManicTheManic Distance and time is the best technique.

[backspacemaster]

I used to make potassium spheres, until I took butyl alcohal to the eyes.

[OOZ662]

Seems like this would also be a good way to extend the shelf life of the potassium, albeit possibly wasteful of the alcohol.

[NurdRage]

@OOZ662 perhaps... but if a person was diligent enough to keep doing this every month then it would be more practical and save more time/money if they simply made potassium fresh just before they actually needed to use it. Its safer and much easier to store all the precursors (magnesium, alcohol, solvent, KOH) and convert them to potassium on demand. And you don't have to be nearly as diligent in maintaining them. :)

[STGF9]

@NurdRage why do you disguise your voice?



[retsaoter]

@NurdRage Your potassium sphere is very beautiful. Would it be possible for you to take some high resolution pictures that I could use as my desktop background?

[NurdRage]

@retsaoter why thank you, but i destroyed the sphere (don't want to keep it around for the long term). In the future though i may do it again and take better pictures then.

[Niakahdabamb]

is that your real voice

[Rusvi1]

...and now off to the bathtub...

[nattsurfaren]

Would it be possible to do the same with lithium as in previous video and this video?

[NurdRage]

@nattsurfaren i haven't tried it, but i'm weary because lithium is much less dense, so it would rise to the top and get severely oxidized, even under nitrogen. It would have to be done under an argon atmosphere.

If a chemist had such a full working setup, they'd probably just buy lithium blocks directly.

[nybotheveg]

@NurdRage how would you store lithium as an amature chemist i don't have acces to ampules and storage in petroleum failed as i kept going to the surface and getting oxidized

[vmelkon]

@nybotheveg Did you try putting lead on top?

Also, why the heck is typing so slow? Stupid youtube.

[wolfie965]

@NurdRage where's the fun in that? :)

[Ypnovatis]

@NurdRage I second that. But, we used to buy all the metals and some metal oxides. Generally if you can't make it in situ then it's best to buy it beforehand. (in clever thought out quantities ofc) :P

[jopagraznaia]

@NurdRage Can you do a tutorial on how to make meth or LSD? Im sure a lot of people will find that very interesting :)

[aliofisher]

@NurdRage weary or wary lol.... btw nice vid

[Holzkohlen666]

100 videos celebration? Anyone?

[maor1993]

isn't the stir bead inside the potassium sphere now?

[Craydon]

I was wondering if there was a chemical way to make iron coated objects?

[delatajada]

Aint the stirring thingy now inside the potassium sphere?

[NurdRage]

@delatajada What stir thingy? point out where i added one.

[a9fc]

@delatajada There's no stirring thingy. The magnetic field effects the potassium itself, nothing's helping it along

[WheresTheAnyKey1]

@delatajada no, the stirring was done by magnetism. No actual rod was placed inside.

[delatajada]

@WheresTheAnyKey1

Oh yea right.. /facepalm

[edheldude]

I usually turn my potassium into kalium.

[snho0k]

looks like a silver version of that harry potter thingy

[gordan2555]

is that your real voice?

[snoopy210190]

@gordan2555 no

[DjiXas]

Are you a wizard?

[michalchik]

"this particular sample is less than a week old so its still safe to handle" What do you mean?

[olivius007]

Could you also use the alcohol to clean the surface of the potassium when the layer of superoxide starts forming after a while in storage? And thus increase safe storage time?