How to Make Potassium Nitrate at Home

How to make potassium nitrate at home with instant cold packs and "sodium-free" salt.

"Sodium-free" salt is actually potassium chloride. Instant cold packs contain ammonium nitrate and if the two are mixed potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride are formed in equilibrium. Fortunately potassium nitrate has lower solubility than ammonium chloride at colder temperatures giving us a means of separation.

Just mix 40 grams of ammonium nitrate with 100mL of water and stir until dissolved. Filter the mixture directly into 37 grams of potassium chloride. Gently heat until completely dissolved, do not boil. Cool the mixture to 0 Celsius in the freezer or on an ice bath. Filter the crystals and dry them. Now you have potassium nitrate.

To test it mix 2 parts potassium nitrate with one part sugar and light it up. It should burn with a purple/pinkish flame.

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[NurdRage]

@bennymutant Haters gonna hate.

[Spart248]

Dear Nurdrage,

I am thoroughly enjoying your playlist known as "Science Shit".

Thank you,

Chris

[coyote7272]

What does adding sugar do? You added it at the end, howcome?

[icuppc]

iv been looking i have not found anything but find sum shit that ses it has it and put it in water and try to stran it out

[nanjaaaaaaaaaaaa]

what to use if the NO SALT is not avaliable

[mynameisryan3]

@NurdRage potatoes gonna potate

[Justin390072997]

What heat degrees did u use when heating all the ion crystals

[TheHarViC2000]

where did u get the ammonium nitrate dear nerd?

[TheGladstoneWrestlin]

Science is awesome :)

[onedudetwotube]

Here's a question; If I find an ice pack but it doesn't say if it's urea or NH4NO3, how would I identify it? I tried to identify it by smelling it during it's endothermic reaction, and I didn't smell anything (urea supposedly smells like ammonia, while ammonium nitrate doesn't smell), but I'm not entirely sure. Any help would be useful, but I'll try to do the reaction anyway.

[onedudetwotube]

@boondox300 You won't be able to light it if you use it as is. Even when you do mix it with sugar it's hard to ignite. I recommend using the tutorials online for smoke bombs, which involves actually melting then mixing the sugar. The best recipe I have used by far is the "Legendary smoke bomb", here's the url to one of the vids. /watch?v=5adMxfJGfek