Resource Guide: Making SN with Sodium Nitrate and Aluminium At Home! ( + Bonus: How to extract SN from curing salt)

[ABSOLUTION]

Thank you so much for writing this guide!
It all makes sense to me, and I'm keen to try it.

I'm just wondering, if every step is followed properly, will the leftover reactants and byproducts be successfully filtered and removed from the final product, leaving reasonably pure nitRITE suitable for use?

Or if there will be impurities, it won't cause issues?

 

[Dying science gal]

Thank you so much for writing this guide!
It all makes sense to me, and I'm keen to try it.

I'm just wondering, if every step is followed properly, will the leftover reactants and byproducts be successfully filtered and removed from the final product, leaving reasonably pure nitRITE suitable for use?

Or if there will be impurities, it won't cause issues?

There would be impurities except it shouldn't cause too much issues.

 

[Action]

Is there a good video on YouTube on how to convert sodium nitrATE to sodium nitrite?

 

[IsThisEverything]

How to extract SN from curing salts:

Goals
This section describes two methods to extract sodium nitRITE from a mixture of sodium nitRITE and sodium chloride (table salt), which is usually present in curing salts. Note that the methods below are untested.

Method 1 - Solubility
It is well known that salt is significantly less soluble than SN. Therefore, we propose the following procedure to separate SN from sodium chloride.

Note: The yield on this is absolutely terrible, since there just isn't that much SN in curing salts to start with, and solubility filtering is bad in general. But it should still work.

Materials - Curing salt (lots) - Tall cup, bottle, or graduated cylinder (x2) - Heating device, such as fire or hot plate - Coffee filter (A few) - Paper towel - SN test kit (You can get this from any pet store. You only need this if you want to test it.)

1. Put the curing salt into a tall cup, bottle or graduated cylinder.
2. Add large amounts of water to the curing salt.
3. Shake for 10 seconds (Seal the cap). Uncap, and then pour liquids through coffee filter. Pour the stuff caught in the coffee filter back (after drying, if there's lots) or dispose if there isn't a lot.
4. Boil out the filtered out liquids, until only solids remain. Repeat steps 2 through 4 with the curing salt until you have approx. 3x the amount of SN you need.
5. Discard or put away the remaining curing salt. Retain the mixture that you got through boiling.
6. Add water into the mixture you have. Shake for 5 seconds. Uncap, then pour through coffee filter. Boil.
7. Repeat step 6 as many times as necessary.
8. Test the salts you get out of step 7! The salts remaining after these solubility tests should be only SN!

Thank you for this information. Could you clarify step 3 - when you say put the stuff caught in the coffee filter "back", do you mean back in the mixture or dispose of it / put it aside?

 

[Dying science gal]

Thank you for this information. Could you clarify step 3 - when you say put the stuff caught in the coffee filter "back", do you mean back in the mixture or dispose of it / put it aside?

Sorry for being unclear~ Step 3 should read:
3. Shake for 20 seconds (Or shorter if too much of the salt gets dissolved), then pour liquids through a fine filter (such as coffee filter). Dispose of the contents which are caught in the filter.

Step 8 should read:
8. Test the remaining contents and ensure you have enough SN in the solution (via testing concentration)

Again, this is extremely theoretical and this is entirely untested.

Is there a good video on YouTube on how to convert sodium nitrATE to sodium nitrite?

A very good source I used:

Sodium nitrite - Sciencemadness Wiki

www.sciencemadness.org

Some stuff I found (did not review) that describes the procedure (a procedure, not necessarily the one I used).

 

[Action]

Thank you

 

[Kokomi_20]

Hello, sorry, I don't speak English (I'm writing this with the translator) and I don't really know how the page works, I don't know if I'm answering you or not, sorry, I wanted to ask you if it is possible to thermally decompose sodium nitrate to sodium nitrite but only with heat, according to chatgpt if it is possible, then could I avoid using aluminum? I don't know much about chemistry, thank you and sorry again

 

[Action]

Thank you for posting this thread. I've been looking into the possibility of converting sodium nitrAte to nitrIte a few months ago, when I saw how difficult it was becoming to ahold of the latter. However, it requires the proficiency of a chemist and the use of professional lab-grade equipment in order to attain the required purity of concentrated nitrIte. According to Stan's guide it's required to be ^ 98%. My question is; has anyone tried this formula and acquired sufficient test results? You can view instructions on how to test the purity level by searching for 'sn test kit' in your browser.

 

[Kokomi_20]

Hello, yesterday I tried this method and I must tell you that although I am sure it works in my case, it did not work, if you are going to try it, have all the materials, in my case I had nothing (I even used distilled water by reverse osmosis and I think that is not the case. I had to use it), the method is more difficult than it seems but if you have the materials and the dedication you will get it (I don't speak English and I wrote this with the translator, if it is written badly that is why)

 

[prof]

Aluminum-Based Oxidation of Sodium Nitrate: A Simple Approach for Acquiring Sodium Nitrite (SN)
a_user et al, 2023​

This study explores a practical and safe method to produce sodium nitrite (SN), a chemical compound with diverse applications, by oxidizing aluminum with sodium nitrate. Amid increasing restrictions on SN due to safety issues, this method ensures accessibility to SN for legitimate uses. The experiment involves heating a mixture of sodium nitrate and aluminum, followed by dissolution, filtration, and re-heating, resulting in the production of SN. The project emphasizes the significance of maintaining access to SN for various crucial applications, offering a straightforward approach that can be safely conducted using common materials and equipment.

Background
Sodium nitRITE (NaNO2, hereafter abbreviated to SN) is a chemical compound that has been widely used in various industries and applications due to its unique properties. While its usage has become restricted in some jurisdictions due to safety concerns, such as the recent increase in popularity of SN being used for suicide, it is important to recognize the value and necessity of making SN accessible to individuals.

SN has a range of legitimate and essential applications across various sectors. It is crucial for food manufacturers as a food additive, ensuring food safety, extending shelf life, and maintaining quality in processed meats. In medicine, it plays a vital role in treating cyanide poisoning and methemoglobinemia. SN is also valuable in industrial settings, where it is used in manufacturing dyes, pigments, corrosion inhibitors, and rust prevention. Additionally, it contributes to agricultural and horticultural practices by serving as a nitrogen source in fertilizers and controlling pests. By allowing accessibility to sodium nitrite, individuals, such as amateur chemists and chefs, can an extremely enjoyable time working with SN safely. It is of my opinion that the prohibition of the distribution of SN is completely irrational for many reasons, of one being how easy it is to make out of non-restricted substances.

Note
TALLman lettering is employed throughout the article to prevent the confusion between sodium nitRITE and sodium nitRATE (mostly for myself so I don't get confused). In addition, the abbreviation, SN is employed solely for sodium nitRITE, and never used for sodium nitRATE. In addition, the discussion of whether if sodium nitRITE should be restricted, and whether if individuals have the right to a fast and peaceful exit is out of scope for this article for legal reasons. Nevertheless, it is critical that we understand that there are numerous indisputably legitimate and essential private uses of SN, and therefore, access to SN should be maintained.

The method utilized in this project has been determined by the results of this poll.

This article is split to two sections. First being a tested method of creating sodium nitRITE with aluminium and sodium nitRATE. The second is an untested method of extracting sodium nitRITE using curing salts based on solubility of SN and sodium chloride (table salt). This untested method will be posted in a comment after the publication of this article.

Goals
The goals of this experiment is to determine whether if it is possible to reliably oxidize aluminium with sodium nitRATE to create aluminium oxide and sodium nitRITE.

Reaction
3 NaNO3 + 2 Al ⟶ Al2 O3 + 3 NaNO2

Materials and Equipment
If you need help finding anything, let me know via a private message! If you want to substitute since you can't get something, feel free to send a comment and I can let you know if it would work!
1. Hot plate or other heating device like a stove (household is fine) or a bunsen burner
2. Good thermometer if you are not using a hot plate (Amazon carries those, you don't need one if you can make sure everything is under 300C)
3. Sodium nitRATE - 2-3x more than you want the product (SN) be, if you're confident you won't mess up.
4. Aluminium (Household foil is good enough. Be sure you didn't accidentally buy tin foil! Buy the cheapest ones your place sells since that is less likely to be contaminated - get two rolls just in case. Powder preferred!)
5. PPE
- Fume hood (preferred) or googles and N95+ mask if you don't want to breath in smelly fumes
- Gloves (Disposable)
- Lab coat if you have one on hand
6. Very clean water (distilled only! Make sure it has 0 added minerals. Reverse osmosis is NOT good. Tap water is NOT good. Regular household boiled water is NOT good. You can buy distilled water from any pharmacy or grocery store).
7. Borosilicate beakers or pans that you won't use after this.
8. Sodium nitrITE test strips (You can buy these from any pet shop)
9. Coffee filter/paper

Procedure
BEFORE STARTING ANY PROCEDURE, PUT ON PPE!
1. Sanitize all equipment. If you are using a pan, there can be absolutely NO oil on it!
2. Shred lots of aluminium foil (0.25 the mass of the amount of sodium nitRATE you are using as the reactants)
3. Pour out sodium nitRATE (approx 2x the amount of sodium nitRITE you want to make).
4. Mix the sodium nitRATE with the aluminium in a beaker or pan. Mix it well!
5. Heat everything up. Keep it below 300C or else the SN could disintegrate! Heat it for 1 hour.
6. Once it is heated for one hour, add water to the container SLOWLY. Wait until all the powder is dissolved. Test the solution with the test paper to see if the amount of sodium nitRITE is satisfactory. If it is, stop to step 14.
7. Filter the solution though the coffee filter. Make sure only liquids pass through.
8. Boil the liquid and dispose of the filter and the stuff in it as household waste.
9. Once the liquid is boiled, add as little water as possible for everything in it to dissolve.
10. Use more aluminium foil to make a "box" with open top.
11. Put the liquid solution you have made in step 9 into the "box" and then scrunch up the "box", making sure that all the powder stays inside the "box". Make everything tight (not too tight. (If you need more explanation, drop a comment)
12. Heat up the scrunched up aluminium foil with the powder inside for 1 hour at less than 300C.
13. Skip to step 6 and repeat.
14. Filter the solution through the coffee filter, and then boil off the solution.
15. After boiling off the solution, you should be left with a powder. That powder should be sodium nitRITE!
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send a comment below! I don't bite~

Disposal
Heat sodium nitRITE to 400C for sodium nitRITE to be decomposed to harmless chemicals. Then dispose in household rubbish. DO NOT dispose sodium nitRITE in household rubbish without decomposing first!

Testing
As of May 14, 2023, the SN produced as a part of this experiment has not yet been quantified. However, we plan to test the substance with FTIR spectrometry in the coming weeks. We will comment on this thread once the results are made available to us.

Images
We will add images in the near future!

Bonus: How to extract SN from curing salts - two methods:
Method 1: Solubility
Method 2: Melting

Now we learned how to make SN. Hmm. Thoughts on making a guide for making something nicer, like N? Comment below on what you want to see!​

Hi @Dying science gal. I'm confused about point 11. Do you put liquid or powder in the "box" or both?

 

[rxg116]

But like some other said, it's probably easier to find and buy SN. Also, knowing my peers in lab I can promise you that the average person doesn't have the necessary skill to make this, still a nice add.

Interested to see how your quantitative Test turns out, I must say my lab self is turning on itself by seeing this to create SN, also why not purchases the minium quantity of real lab equipment to make this work? Normal lab filters are not that expensive neither would be aluminium (500g for €10). If possible can you please tag me when you add the % of purity of your test?

The experimental setup and goals described in your message aim to transform sodium nitrate into sodium nitrite via a thermal reduction using aluminum. However, the reaction outlined and the proposed methodology have several issues that make it scientifically unsound and practically risky:

1. Chemical Reaction Viability

The proposed reaction:3 NaNO3+2 Al→ Al2O3+3 NaNO23 \text{ NaNO}_3 + 2 \text{ Al} \rightarrow \text{ Al}_2\text{O}_3 + 3 \text{ NaNO}_23 NaNO3+2 Al→ Al2O3+3 NaNO2While theoretically possible, this reduction of sodium nitrate to sodium nitrite using aluminum as a reducing agent is not a typical or straightforward method. The reaction conditions to achieve this transformation effectively and safely are stringent and typically require industrial setups with precise temperature control and inert atmospheres to prevent unwanted side reactions, such as the oxidation of aluminum into aluminum oxide at high temperatures in the presence of nitrates, which can be explosive.

2. Safety Concerns

• Explosive Risk: Mixing aluminum with an oxidizer like sodium nitrate and applying heat introduces significant risks of a violent reaction or explosion.
• Toxic Fumes: Heating these chemicals can release toxic gases, including nitrogen oxides, which are harmful to inhale.
• Control of Reaction Conditions: The temperatures required to facilitate this reaction (if it were viable) need precise control, which household equipment like hot plates or Bunsen burners cannot provide reliably.

3. Experimental Setup and Procedure

• The procedure involves several unconventional steps and handling advice, such as using aluminum foil boxes and repeated heating, which do not align with standard chemical synthesis practices and add complexity and uncertainty to the process.
• Dissolving the reaction mixture in water and subsequently boiling it to recover sodium nitrite is impractical and potentially dangerous, given the solubility of other reaction byproducts and unreacted reagents.

4. Environmental and Disposal Concerns

• Proper disposal of chemical waste is crucial. The guide's casual approach to disposal (e.g., disposing of filter and residues as household waste) is inappropriate for potentially hazardous materials.

Recommendations:

• Research and Validation: Before attempting any such experiment, thorough research in scientific literature should be conducted to confirm the reaction's viability and gather detailed, peer-reviewed methodologies that ensure safety and effectiveness.
• Safety First: Engage with a professional chemist or a controlled laboratory environment to discuss or demonstrate such experiments. Do not attempt high-risk chemical reactions at home.
• Alternative Methods: Consider safer and more established chemical processes if the goal is to study chemical transformations or synthesize specific compounds.

If your interest in transforming sodium nitrate to sodium nitrite is for educational or experimental purposes, exploring theoretical chemistry through simulation software or educational kits designed for safe, small-scale chemistry experiments might be a better approach.