Daft, but also Serious question.

[DoubleTShiftty]

Well to cut a long story short, I have very very limited knowledge when it comes to Chemistry type stuff, and the only practical experience I have had is when I was at school.

Basically what I want to know, is can certain chemicals be extracted from, say, Plant Food?

As an Example... I have this shit at home that I was looking at, that contains N, P, K, Ca.
Could I extract Nitrogen from it for example?

The quantity and effort required is of no relevence.

By the way, I have searched loads of forums for an answer previous to posting this, and I figured that it was such a low level question I wouldn't find any answers, but I searched anyway, I even tried google a few times... No success.

[odin_dax]

Well, of course you can separate any element with the right procedure and energy.

[Th0r]

Aye Shifty...

I know how to get KN03 out of NPK Fertiliser, but not Nitrogen on its own...

[death11284]

Polyatomic Ions have extremely strong bonds that won't break easily. I don't think it would be possible (at least within the home-chemist bounds) to break the N-O bonds. Furthermore I don't even think you can isolate the K and NO3 without some really heavy duty equipment. Potassium is number 3 on the activity series so kicking it out with another metal isn't going to happen..unless you have Lithium or Rubidium lying around..

Isolating nitrogen from KNO3 would be costly, difficult, and I personally wouldn't have the knowledge to do it, though I think it would take electrolysis with ALOT of power. Even that I'm not 100% sure of..

This could be slightly more possible with NH4NO3 but I don't feel like looking it up.

The only conceivable ways I see to get nitrogen are 1) buying dewar tanks and getting them filled 2) http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0279500.html something along the lines of that..but it wouldn't be cheap..

[davey_crockshit]

Isolating nitrogen from KNO3 would be costly, difficult, and I personally wouldn't have the knowledge to do it, though I think it would take electrolysis with ALOT of power. Even that I'm not 100% sure of..

nitrogen? you're breathing it.

kno3? is that the specific chemical responsible for the fertilizer's nitrogen content? might be urea, might be ammonium nitrate, might be something else. i assume it's a physical mixture of two or three different chemicals. the package might have a clue which ones.

[death11284]

Davey we are breathing nitrogen in a mix known as "air". Within the "air" substance what is known as "fixed nitrogen" is present, it is an inert gas, completely useless for all practical purposes, even when isolated. It's a physical mixture of chemicals, yes, but unfortunately the ones containing the nitrogen, such as Urea Nitrate, KNO3, NH4NO3 are unable to be chemically seperated..

Like I said buying a dewar tank and filling it, would be the easiest way to obtain nitrogen..

[davey_crockshit]

dewar tank implies liquid nitrogen. way cool stuff. hundreds of degrees below zero in fact.

it can also be obtained as a compressed gas for far less. try the welding supply place. some paintball markers will also use compressed nitrogen.


found this on google. burning blackpowder....

2kno3 + s + 3c --> k2s + n2 + 3co2

so that's potassium sulfide, nitrogen and three carbon dioxides out of black powder just by lighting it.

came from here. http://www.civilwarartillery.com/disarm/blackpowder.htm

just sayin'

[death11284]

Davey, I'm pretty sure that's the point of him obtaining nitrogen. He wants the really cold stuff that most people think of when they hear nitrogen. This would be my assumption at least considering his post..

If not then there are many, many ways to get compressed nitrogen for cheap. But the "fun" introgen is of course in dewar tanks.

[crazy white guy]

I'm surprised no-one has asked why he needs it. Im pretty sure he is thinking about potassium nitrate and not nitrogen.

[odin_dax]

I'm surprised no-one has asked why he needs it. Im pretty sure he is thinking about potassium nitrate and not nitrogen.

Given the question and the challenge, I didn't find the need to think about why. :wiggle:

[Th0r]

Seeing as he only asked about Nitrogen, he probably doesn't want KN03...