Monday, April 16, 2012

Lithium sheet metal and zirconium powder

I found some interesting materials at a local fleamarket (http://www.electronicsfleamarket.com/): a canister of lithium sheet metal, and a bottle of fine zirconium powder (325 mesh). The zirconium is stored under water since the dry power can self-ignite, or may be ignited by static electricity or shock. Confusingly, the MSDS sheets say that dry zirconium powder must not be allowed near water, but http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifif it is to be stored, it must be completely submerged in water. I carefully dried a very small amount, and sprinkled it over a flame.

If you know of something interesting to do with these chemicals, please let me know.

11 comments:

  1. Seeing how great you are at making replicas of fairly complex production methods, maybe cubic circonia would be a challenge? :)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_zirconia

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  2. As I recall a certain type of torpedo is powered by lithium and sulfur hexafluoride. It would be cool to see a comparison of energy density between that and a home made lithium battery.

    Also I don't know if this works for that much lithium but when I worked in a lab we would store lithium under mineral oil.

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  3. Zirconium was used in flashbulbs for cameras, in a fine wool form in a glass tube with high oxygen content.

    Cubic zirconia won't be possible, you need a crucible capable of some 2800*C, good luck there :)

    And I also recommend storing that lithium under oil. It goes bad in air quite readily.

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  4. Off topic. Heard a great discussion on NPR today about the ineffectiveness of traditional lecture-style learning. Ben, you've commented that you don't really learn electronics in school via lecture, but in the workplace or by hands on. I thought you'd like to hear this program.

    see this website: americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/tomorrows-college/lectures/

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  5. Just found your blog from you tube. I think it would be cool if you made fluorine salt with the Lithium. Just finished a paper on LFTR reactors and the main solvent used is nicknamed FLiBe. Meaning LiF and Beryllium Fluoride salts. Read some where that a weak acid contains fluorine and eats away at glass. Anyways thought that would be an easy wal-mart source.

    wm.jesse.miller@gmail.com

    USU Engineering Student

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  6. @William- I dont think there are ANY easy sources for flourine based chemicals- Not to mention flourine is horrifically toxic and dangerous.

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  7. Wow, hard to believe they clad nuclear fuel in anything related to that stuff... zirconium that is.

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  8. "Let's try a bigger piece."

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  9. You could try to make your own liquid metal (Apple) using the zirconium; it is a key metal for the alloy. Add some Titanium and SS, forge and cool rapidly.

    http://www.liquidmetal.com/technology/

    TG

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  10. Be really cool to see if you could do your own lithium battery of some variety. Maybe even then take a look with the SEM :).

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  11. maybe try an oxygen generator? Different higher oxides of lithium are great for that. Or hydrogen storage--lithium borohydride or aluminum hydride. Of course it will work with other alkalis, but lithium is the lightest.

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