Aluminium amalgam (Al/Hg) summary

ACAB

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The following observation: 15 minutes after adding water to the aluminum foil and the mercury salt, I have a dark gray water solution with many small bubbles that form a foam. After I pour off the water, I hear the aluminum crackling and white smoke rising, a lot of white smoke.

Was I too early to drain the water, or too late?
 

Acidosis

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observe that the flow of the bubbles is constant without stops, and observe that the aluminum foil is already well covered with dark gray traces and then you know that your amalgam is ready for further use... keep safe from mercury vapors, always use protection and then everything will be joys.!!.
 

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What is it? Reflux condenser???
It is need to use in amph synthesis (look at manual topic!)
No, you should clean up your amalgam from acid (HNO3 is produced after Al+Hg(NO3)2 reaction).
Hg salt isn't dissolve in these solvents.
 

diogenes

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Hi Patton, I meant the Hg salt will remain in the discarded water phase, it`s solubility is very low in IPA. Rinsing is always recommended of course.
 

G.Patton

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>it`s solubility is very low in IPA.
Hg salts immiscible with IPA. You can avoid rinsing. I got information that it has no influence on Hg in final product at all. One colleague made metal analysis for amphetamine and said that Hg there was 0.0003-0.0004 mg/kg.
 

diogenes

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smokeyltda

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Just saw I could use it, sorry xd

Hg2Cl2 cant be used only because of the low solubility or there is another explanation?
 

G.Patton

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Hg in Hg2Cl2 has oxidation state +1, you need +2 in HgCl2 or Hg(NO3)2
 

souldecoder

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important question:

the hydrogen released in the amalgam, its only just hydrogen? or it carries as well aluminum? i assume its hydrogen and IPA, but im in doubt about if the aluminun are released as well....

and if yes, in what quantity, and how dangerous is?
tnx in advance
 

diogenes

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Hi Patton, is there any advatage of using HgCl2 instead of HgNO3? The former is more water soluble, and can be made from the nitrate salt quite easily. That said, I don`t like to mess around with such toxic substances if there is no clear advantage.
 

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Hi Diogenes. As I said before, HgNO3 isn't appropriate for amalgam production, only Hg(NO3)2 salt. There are no differences btw Hg(NO3)2 and HgCl2.
 

diogenes

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Hi Patton, sorry I meant Mercury Nitrate Hg(NO3)2, but my question was answered. I haven`t tried HgCl2 and I thought there could be a reason why people use it despite the extra step needed to make it from the nitrate salt. Anyway, thank you for your answer.
 

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G.Patton

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Hi. Mercury sulphate is exceedingly poisonous. And no, you have to recount the Hg amount in molar ratio.
 

diogenes

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Hi Guys, Just sharing a recent findings. I have returned to the `good old Al/Hg amalgam reaction, simply for not having enough NaBH4, and not wanted to spend money on it. I used to use Al/Hg, but was never successful with the rinse wth water thing, which - as I can see - bothers a lot of newbies here. The key is, which I think will help you out is emphesising some small and vital details:
- using as thick foil as possible is a must, forget supermarket foils, although sometimes thicker foils can be found there too. I have ordered Al foil online, with a known thickness, I think it is about 25 microns. This makes Amalgamation MUCH slower, so you have more time to choose the right moment and even prepare other ingredients if you haven`t already done so.
- The foil does not necessarily need to be coffee ground, although I haven`t done a comparison, my yields were close to 80%.
- Be quick with the rinse, and don`t use too much water. I have only tried one rinse.
- Speed: add water quickly, do a couple of shakes and quicly filter it.
- When you have the Amalgamated foil, add your reagents/precursors and monitor what is happening. Do not use ice water bath to cool it at this stage. The reaction will start less violently and after a few seconds, so you have more time to attach the condenser without inhaling too much gas.
- Wait until the reaction has definitely started and is almost starting to get out of hand (but don`t wait too long either until it starst to boil over otherwise you will KILL your reaction. Basically wait until there i bubbling and the flask is getting very hot, then start cooling it .
- I cut up 45g of foil amd it wasn`t to much, the size was around half a small match box size. Add the cut up foil to the flask immediately.
- With this method I reached about 80%, I didn`t calculate the exact yield but it was quite good amount.
= I used HgCl2 instead of HgNO3, but I don`t think this is imporrant.
- Using f two condenserrs I reduced 35g P2NP in a 2 L flask, I will try to scale up when I have a larger flask. E.g. 70g in a 5l flask, the reagent/flask size is probably not linear.
- I have tried one quick wash only and this woked fan1tastic. I recommend this to others too, then try and increase the number of rinses.

In summary: thickness of foil is important, especially as a beginner and not to cool it straight away; it is also important to be patient and wait until all the foil goes to the surface, don`t be too fast as this takes longer, but you have also a bigger window of opportunity.
 

twok

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what would be the proportion of HgNO3 and AL, MeOH and CH3NO2 for 100g mdp2p?
 

farukhocaoglu

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Can this be used to substitute syntheses requiring NaBH4? I am trying to make 5-MeO-DMT from 5-MeO-T following Hamilton Norris's synthesis, but I don't have NaBH4 available to me.
 

G.Patton

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I don't think so
 
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farukhocaoglu

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The one thing I'm not too sure about is the product, will it make MMT or DMT. In your synthesis of methamphetamine from amphetamine with Al/Hg, only one methyl group is added to the amine.
 
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