Make Potassium Permanganate (sort of...)

We make potassium permanganate from the potassium nitrate and manganese dioxide we obtained in previous videos.


Warning: This experiment deals with very high temperatures in glass equipment. Face shields and protection against shattering glass is required. In addition small quantities of toxic gases are produced. This experiment should be performed outside or in a fume hood.


Make a vial with a mixture of 7 grams of potassium nitrate and 1 gram of manganese dioxide.

Using a torch carefully heat the mixture so they melt together. Smoke and fumes should be liberated as the potassium nitrate oxidizes any contaminants in the manganese dioxide.

Keep the mixture molten for a few minutes.

Now add 2 grams of potassium hydroxide and heat the mixture again thoroughly. It will boil and turn green as the reactants generate potassium manganate. Keep it on a gentle boil for several minutes.

Let the vial cool and then smash it apart with a hammer. Obtain the green solid and pulverize it into a powder. Mix this powder with 50 mL of water and dissolve the green potassium manganate. Let it settle and then pour off the solution.

The solution can be converted to potassium permanganate by adding drops of either sulfuric acid or sodium bicarbonate. Just keep adding and stirring until the solution turns purple. If you go too far it will turn light pink indicating the permanganate has been destroyed.

Let the byproduct of brown manganese dioxide settle out and the liquid is a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

A demonstration you can do is to add the solution to another solution of half a gram of sugar and sodium hydroxide. The purple/red solution of permanganate will go to a green and then to a yellow color as the permanganate ion is reduced.

Website: http://www.nurdrage.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Potassium
• permanganate
• manganese
• dioxide
• sodium
• hydroxide
• manganate
• science
• experiments
• chemistry
• DIY
• fair
• project

[LolzICanFly]

You could easily get a higher yield by just dumping the glass and chemical in the water. All the chemical would dissolve, and the glass would sink to the bottom, where you can collect it.

[NurdRage]

@LolzICanFly No, the chemical would NOT all dissolve, its mostly insoluble, that's the problem.

[mcwario13]

Cant i make KNO3 bye mixing K2CO3 (potassium carbonate) with nitric acid???

[NurdRage]

@mcwario13 This video is about making KMnO4, if you want KNO3 check out my videos specifically on making potassium nitrate.

[josh2dude2]

@NurdRage ofcourse I have :P I absolutely loved this though. Interesting to see the method to break it all down- and the end result is just fantastic! Just added that comment for people who want to mix it with other chemicals to ignite it cheaply.. Thoroughly enjoyed it though man :)

[NurdRage]

@josh2dude2 ah gotcha :)

[NurdRage]

@USArcAngel117 I think you completely and totally missed the point of learning stuff.

[Khaied345]

I bought pure 100g of KMnO4 at a local Pharmacy for S$7.50 (USD$5.767)

[LolzICanFly]

@NurdRage I thought potassium permanganate was water-soluble. Am I missing something?

[mcwario13]

Can this be done with Manganese dioxide and Potassium chlorate?



[UNITA4]

will I be able to get a high enough purity kmno4 to crystalize it if I use high-purity mno2 achieved through the nurdrage oxone + mnso4 video, and at what temp do the initial chemicals need to be heated to? ie can I use a hotplate or alcohol burner instead of the torch?

[ChickenWingzz]

@ChickenWingzz Found it, I asked the cashier xD

[Khaied345]

@ChickenWingzz Check at the pharmacy part. It's usually on the small shelves. It's in a small white container. Check carefully because the label is kinda small so it's hard to notice it. The text is in a purple colour. I know two NTUC Unity stores that are in Whitesands Pasir Ris and AMK Hub.

[ChickenWingzz]

@Khaied345 Hi, in which department of unity is it found at? thx

[paalvarado96]

HI i need KMNo4 but in crystals, i add the carbon bicarbonate, and...? tanks!

[kevp951]

@Khaied345 Ace Hardware here in the USA....but i'm working now on using homemade magnifying glasses to heat,burn,cut and also to purify and distill drinking water. Check out Dan Rohas (where i learned) at his website greenpowerscience and he is here on youtube...he is amazing, just like Nurd Rage !