Make Zinc Metal by Electrolysis (Fixed)

[@emccoy]

The most interesting thing about this channel is that i've probably learned more watching these videos than any time I spent in a chemistry lab in college. I learned from the books and the lectures well enough, but I never really understood what the hell I was doing in the lab aside from just following directions. They never explained what the experiments had to do with anything or what we were doing. But watching these videos and hearing you explain what and why you are doing it actually helps me understand better what I was supposed to learn in the lab years ago.

[@NurdRage]

*You've already seen this video! You are not hallucinating!* Apologies for this spamming your notifications. I tried to set it to NOT notify subscribers but youtube messed it up. This is a fixed version of my original "Make Zinc Metal by Electrolysis" video. The previous one unknowingly used a fake platinum electrode that ruined the experiment. I have since purchased a new platinum electrode and have redone the parts featuring it. Don't worry, Patreon pledges will not be doubled charged. After all, you paid for a working video, not a ruined one! :)

[@jamie91995]

+KJP12 he said they deleted their account

[@tm80notgoodwithnames58]

no broblem :D

[@jrfattack11]

Love these videos. Learn more in a couple videos then a whole semester of Chem.

[@PhattyMo]

Spam away,man. Even if I don't really understand this chemistry thing,I'll still watch it twice.

[@bno112300]

Can you link to the old version, if it's somewhat different. Unlisted of course. I still want to see it.

[@CoolKoon]

Actually this does NOT crush my expectations: zinc is generally MUCH harder to come by than zinc oxide, the latter which can be found in ALL the depleted alkaline batteries out there (which is a free source of zinc oxide). Thus this is an awesome tip for turning that into zinc metal (although the alkaline method is kinda more convenient). As for sodium bisulfate, where I come from, it's kinda harder/MUCH more inconvenient to get it than sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can be purchased at almost any (corner) drug store (just like hydrochloric acid, probably for cleaning toilets and also to refill car batteries if needed) that is of sufficient quality to get good results with (it's dilute, but the excess water can be boiled off, easy peasy). Sodium bisulfate needs to be purchased from a chemical supplies company instead.

[@zanpekosak2383]

CoolKoon Where are you from?

[@CoolKoon]

Slovakia

[@davesulphate4497]

I recently purchased a Kg of zinc only to find its got a bunch of iron in it :( so im dissolving the whole lot and purifying it myself. turns out that most Zn for sale on ebay is full of iron :( in retrospect it would be easier to buy ZnO which is sold at much higher purity.

[@stephenjacks8196]

The cranes in construcion use "zincs" to melt and fill cable splices et al. Welding supply store will carry it. Building supply place has zinc strips for roofing and zinc sulfate (moss out). Krylon has galvanizing paint (spray into thinner for zinc powder). Boating shops have "zincs" for corrosion protection of boats.

[@stephenjacks8196]

Note electrochemical potentials change between acid and alkali solutions. Hydrogen is 0v in acid and -.8v in alkali. Reason is pH, Nernst equation based on concentration and [H] is low when pH is high. Not all H becomes H2, some diffuses into the metal. Some alkali metals also diffuse into the metal due to low [H]. Can use graphite (acid washed battery electrode) as anode as well as sacrificial counterions like oxalate, formate, citrate, gluconate, etc.

[@marvinhuth4487]

probably a horrible question: would that not be an adequate fix for the dendrite problem in zink air batteries? except for the greatly reduced surface area.........

[@carboxysome2630]

Could you make a video on how to make various (preferably,as big as possible) crystals? Not the copper sulfate kind,that dissolve in water,but other,more durable ones?

[@ThePharphis]

Ferrocene might be a good choice. It's common, anyway. If you're looking for completely water insoluble stuff (worried about humidity?) then there are other options as well. but it depends what you want to do with it.

[@alidan]

this isnt a bad idea, go into the science behind it and potentially one of the if not the first thing non lab people can do.

[@Tokimime31]

If you want some good sulfuric acid you can buy it at an auto parts store in the form of battery acid. Battery acid is just sulfuric acid diluted with water, so boil it to higher concentrate it.

[@Tokimime31]

I would prefer this over drain cleaner...

[@Frostysam44]

or you can boil drain cleaner with hydrogen peroxide to oxidase the organics in it.

[@bernardo00124719]

piranha solution.

[@MuzikBike]

Assuming you haven't deleted it outright and have just unlisted/privated it, could you add a link to the old video with the bad electrode in the description?

[@Keldor314]

*Thinks*. Hmm. A basic solution should hold on to the hydrogen better, reducing the unwanted sideproduct. *Hears NurdRage mention the alkyline process 5 seconds later*. Neat! I guess I was right! This brings up the obvious question - what happens with this family of reactions if you vary the PH? What about performing the experiment in a weak alkyline solution?

[@pietrotettamanti7239]

Keldor314 how can you reduce hydrogen gas? (I think that you meant H2 as unwanted sideproduct).

[@linjo1002]

Nurd rage what is a good place to buy chemicals?

[@stonent]

A good place would be be a legit chemical supply company like Sigma Aldrich or Fisher Scientific. But that's more pro stuff there for labs. Most that do youtube channels use Ebay and Amazon.

[@linjo1002]

Thanks

[@stephenjacks8196]

Don't forget Alibaba

[@nakrul987]

can you do vacuum distillation of zinc metal?

[@shanejohns7901]

Great. Now how do you get the zinc off of the electrode?

[@supernewuser]

Hahaha I'm like wtf am I having a stroke?

[@NurdRage]

LOL :)

[@idiotsandwich7528]

Sooo, the type of electrode is important for the formation of metal at cathode?

[@FlyingmonkeyGaming]

@NurdRage So where did you find the new electrode and can you recommend a sell :D

[@dalemoolman3089]

How do you strengthen zinc alloy that's already in form. For instance my brother zink alloy truck is soft how would I strengthen that

[@AbhishekSharma-py5my]

Hi! I am trying to replicate this experiment but by using Zinc ash. Mixing it with sulphuric acid and then removing Iron & copper. So I am able to get a pure Zinc sulphate solution but I can't figure out the electrolysis part. I am trying to get a Lead-Silver anode and an Aluminium cathode but what is the voltage/current I should apply? The size of the cathode & anodes are both 10cmx10cm..

[@CKOD]

I enjoy electrochemistry videos. Could you electropolish the zinc surface to smooth it out? Is that only for stainless?

[@NurdRage]

You probably could. I'm not sure the chemicals and voltage to use though.

[@stocklitv1371]

did you ever use carbon fiber for electrolysis?

[@trench01]

I dont understand. You got the "Material of the electrode" from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpotential But the source for that is not cited. I was wondering the complete element electrode voltage. So one can strip one element like gold from electronics just by doing this and attach it to gold to get bigger? I was wondering for cleaning water if that would work to separate other elements like fluoride, lead, aluminum, etc with voltage or in the body to remove heavy metals by voltage. Thanks

[@NurdRage]

Research "hydrogen overpotential table" if you're looking for a table with cited sources.

[@trench01]

also would you happen to know the other questions I asked about separating specific metals from water and body? thanks

[@pietrotettamanti7239]

Trench aluminium and fluoride have respectively great and very low reduction potential. I don't think that this trick would work to produce fluorine out of a fluoride solution (and even if it did, you'd more likely die cuz fluorine reacts with water to make HF), or aluminium out of an aluminium solution. I don't think that lowering the reduction potential of hydrogen more than the one of aluminium is possible, and making reduction potential of oxygen higher than the one of fluorine (but this works with chlorine, which in ideal comditions has a greater reduction potential than oxygen).

[@VesExcYohannes]

how to make Zinc Metal from Zinc Oxide (ZnO) ?

[@quadraforest]

how does that stiring machine work? sorry, but i am kinda new to lab equipment

[@Physwe]

A big magnet rotates under the heating plate and drags a small magnet in the flask with it.

[@kitsumyr9752]

+NurdRage is it possible to melt Zinc Oxide directly to get zinc metal?

[@stephenjacks8196]

No. Why would you think that? Yes, Gold Oxide loses Oxygen on heating, but Zinc is not Gold.

[@maderpl1]

Hi @NurdRage I've tried this experiment with Zinc Sulphate, and I ran into a little bit of a problem. All the zinc I was able to plate was in form of small, dark crystals. I've tried a lot of different combinations (zinc anode, platinium anode) Also I would like you to make a video about using Platinium anodes. (mine got dark brown after couple of hours of work and it was not magnetic)

[@stephenjacks8196]

Did you add extra acid? Also too high curren density (too close to anode) rough area with poor cohesion. Commercial plating also use "brighteners" and "levelers"; polyethylene glycol, organic acids, ferrocyanide, flouride, boric acid, and often cyanide or other support for the +1 oxidation state. Usually want sacrificial anode of same metal, which keeps concentration steady; else sacrificial chemical like citric acid in our gold baths that burned up instead of gold.

[@aqadirsaif]

Did you figure out the way? Your result was same as mine!!

[@aqadirsaif]

​@@keeapheto1680 how much should be the current?

[@nostalgistl0058]

I am trying to electroplate lead dioxide.

[@stephenjacks8196]

Ha ha ha Electroplating requires a charge on the ion to be moved plus an electron to add. You can co-plate fine teflon powder with Nickel (very slippery surface) so perhaps you could coplate the lead dioxide. Sodium Plumbite might deposit Lead Dioxide on the positive electrode (in any protic solvent Lead Dioxide would be reduced to Lead Oxide at the negative terminal. That and PbO2 doesn't dissolve in anything.

[@idubbbzfatfather1360]

*But first I need to crush your expectations*

[@3er24t4g1]

Just need to get hold from sea water now

[@WhatWillHappenIf0]

another great video. In near feature I should use electro chemistry on my phd lab work as well. ☺

[@evilplaguedoctor5158]

this was VERY informative. Thank you!

[@johnlbales2773]

Thanks. I was not expecting the metal to become stronger. Surprise!

[@ThePeterDislikeShow]

Cheapest would be to obtain pennies after 1982

[@jackmclane1826]

Is this a viable method to recover zinc and sulfuric acid from precious metal refining waste solutions? Down to what pH level does this method work well?

[@Ismail-xq9ry]

I didn't think there is a gold electrode in my life

[@MrEyeGlitch]

Cool!)

[@JuraIbis]

Come back Zinc, come back! Oh wait...

[@ajayvagadiya3934]

Bro i tried this technique and collected zinc that deposited on cathode but i that is not melting it becomes powder can you explain i want to convert zinc ash to metal pls

[@untermench3502]

Carbon-zinc batteries are a good sorce of zinc metal seet and is easy to cut-up.

[@patinanation4509]

but how do you get zinc and tin out of hcl as a hot wash prior to nitric acid baths for processing circut breakers.

[@vicesimum_phi8123]

Does aqueous zinc chloride also work

[@phuckieu170]

you need some gelatin for smooth zinc deposite

[@dreadnought9523]

Sorry for asking since a lot of people do but why do you deepen your voice?

[@Physwe]

Probably in order to not be recognized by people that know him or her.

[@Mega-tl6bx]

+Physwe It is a he. Look at his video of him putting his hand in hot ice. Also, in the qna videos, he shows a small outline of him, one of the few things that are clear is that he has an EPIC beard

[@WonderMePartyStrip]

I think there's a video about that. It's something about a lab he uses and he is afraid of being suspended from their if he is discovered doing experiments without permission, because he doesn't own the lab.

[@Duncan_Idaho_Potato]

That WAS the case in the past but I don't think he works at that lab any longer. He stopped doing videos for a while after that. Then he put out a call for financial assistance from his viewers so he could create his own lab and start making videos again. I think he kept the voice masking because it's kind of his trademark now. It's quite easy to unmask his voice with audio software, and people HAVE done it, so I don't think privacy has much to do with it anymore.

[@mohsenium]

Good galvanization method

[@Silentspeaker3]

Would you be willing to share where you buy your platinum coated titanium electrodes?

[@NurdRage]

amazon

[@jakebaldwin1308]

Anyways, I digress...

[@ابومريم-ط3ض]

wow

[@senorjp21]

Seems like you use less and less voice modulation, NurdRage. Are we hearing your actual voice these days?

[@christopherthumm4348]

Is this Tony Robbins?

[@christopherthumm4348]

Are you 9 feet tall ? 🤔

[@stephenjacks8196]

Easy to obtain gold leaf (foil) from craft supply and boating shops (gold leaf ship's name, gold doesn't corrode in saltwater.) Could gold leaf be plus electrode? Also gold leaf sticks to hot laser printer toner, conductive surface for circuit boards, can add more with electroless copper plating.

[@creative8352]

Is there any way to make aluminium powder by using chemicals or by electrolysis ? I don't want electrolysis of aluminium oxide because it is very hard process

[@didotb01]

meh! as always.. crushing my expectations.. just like love life, you always suffer the consequence of getting crushed by hurtful words xD #Hugot

[@Berghiker]

What a great video as with all your videos. I have a platinum electrode for making sulphuric acid, now I have a second experiment to use it for. Thanks.

[@jozefnovak7750]

Super! Thank you very much! I have only big zinc crystals by elektrochemistry.

[@wb5rue]

I'd love to support you, is there a way to make a one time donation on Patriot? Couldn't figure out how to do that.

[@thebestofall007]

Use this process to make the high surface area electrode for the copper sulfate and zinc battery.

[@fabianfeliciani6785]

Can you please do the video about potassium chlorate from electrolysis

[@varunsingla123]

should i use carbon electrode instead of and zinc instead of nickel

[@nRADRUS]

Nice. This video created interest for me in Electrolysis field. Tnx )

[@jeffreyfugh7602]

Is it a viable way for amateur chemists to make sulfuric acid?

[@Alex-ee5pl]

Gonna go galvanize all my poor rusting clamps rn

[@jonoring5738]

Could you use a carbon anode?

[@AnDyity]

I like using penny's.

[@ghanshyamr4544]

Dear Sir How can we remove zinc or copper from it's ORE? Ore came direct from earth on small scale base Please reply me Thanks in advance

[@stephenjacks8196]

Primitive humans found metal in their campfires and smelted some ores with charcoal and some copper ores contained zinc and/or tin would smelt to bronze or brass. However no idea of what your ore is so ???? Many Copper and Zinc ores are Sulfides mixed with other sulfide metals. Do you know the yield or % metal in those ores? Some ores can use floatation to sweeren low grade ore.

[@mikeguitar9769]

What is the shiny "acid zinc" plating, that for example is used on shopping carts?

[@stephenjacks8196]

Most shopping carts are chrome plated. You'll see screws and stuff the hardware store, zinc-nickel (zinc and transition metal) plated or galvanized (dipped in liquid zinc). Galvanized has a pretty crystal look.

[@CazaVideos005]

make how to generate hho by electrolisis please

[@pietrotettamanti7239]

Mati M take some zinc sulphate (for example, but you can use whichever electrolyte that doesn't react at the electrode), put electrodes into the solution, and you're done.

[@morganmitchell4017]

4:33 are you sure that's what you meant to say?

[@pietrotettamanti7239]

Morgan Mitchell why?

[@youtubelover1475]

Why was this video fixed?

[@bernardo00124719]

because it was broken.

[@supersayenify]

How do you have negative voltage?

[@NurdRage]

You measure the terminal opposite the positive one ;)

[@supersayenify]

+NurdRage thank you that cleared it up

[@awabo4513]

360p ONLY!!!!

[@NurdRage]

yeah youtube is slow processing today. eventually it'll improve. i just uploaded this vid like half an hour ago.

[@realSkarm]

Funny, I'm only getting HD and Ultra HD as options.

[@Mega-tl6bx]

Is it possible to extract the sodium out of salt?

[@neomew]

Heat salt to it's melting point (1474F) and apply electricity. This will produce fiery sodium and poisonous chlorine gas.

[@Mega-tl6bx]

+neomew How much electricity?

[@neomew]

If you're wanting to know for pure knowledge sake, a google search could probably help you. However, if you're actually wanting to try this, just don't! Buy some sodium - don't try to make your own. High temperatures and these elements do NOT mix well.

[@Aleksanti]

Get your self some sodium hydroxide and then do what neomew said. It has a much lower melting point. :)

[@therealquade]

High temperatures for molten salts are very safe and useful if handled properly, That's how Solar-Thermal power works. huge rows of parabolic mirrors focusing sunlight onto light absorbing (and therefor heat absorbing) pipes, full of salt, which becomes molten, From there this molten salt is pumped through the pipes getting hotter and hotter. That heat is used to turn turbines, either by the expansion of the molten salt by heat, or by using the molten salt to heat water. I'm not really clear on which, but Either way, This is the only way a solar power station is able to generate power at night, by having left-over thermal energy that lasts through the night. All thanks to molten salt.