Add acid/alcohol to nitrite solution or opposite?

Topic created by Brewnewb
on Fri, 21 Jan 2022 at 07:23

Brewnewb said on Fri, 21 Jan 2022 at 07:23...

Made a batch of amyl nitrite for the he first time and it was a big success. Tried making isopropyl nitrite next and failed big-time. For both I added the acid alcohol solution to the nitrite solution.
The isopropyl batch would create way too much orange gas, nitrogen dioxide? And would yield nothing even with a super slow drip + salted ice bath.

Next I tried dripping the nitrite solution into the acid/alcohol in an icebath and yielded a really good amount of isopropyl nitrite. But the effects were pretty weak. Much weaker than I expected.

Anonymous said on Sat, 22 Jan 2022 at 17:21...

@Brewn....I've whipped up IPN where I had zero yield....and wasn't sure why, but when I got a decent yield, it was potent, but with side effects.

If the ratios are correct, temps cold and drip rate slow enough, there shouldn't be a lot of dioxide formation. It could be the sodium nitrite has oxidized too much to nitrate. I melt a small amount of sodium nitrite in a metal skillet until most of the bubbles are gone and pour it off into a metal container sitting in cool bath water. The one pitfall could be heating the sodium nitrite too long and turning it all into sodium oxide, which no longer has nitrogen in it and will form lye when added to water. You don't want it to stay above 350-400C for very long.

Anonymous said on Sat, 22 Jan 2022 at 20:54...

@Brewn....I made 10 mls of amyl nitrite a week ago and it's still excellent. No change of neutral odor, no bitterness, no acid.....and effects spot on.

I melted my sodium salt first and added excess acid...15 mls alcohol to 20 mls HCl 31.45%.

12 grams sodium nitrite into 18 mls DW

Washed in cold water twice without shaking.

Washed in baking soda and salt solution 4 times without shaking - no emulsification.

The carbonate drier/preservative is about 1/16th inch thick on bottom of 10 ml bottle and it won't move....it's become somewhat solid - reacted somehow.