Gallery, Projects and General > Mod-Ups!
Case Hardening Experiments Mod-Up
vtsteam:
Potassium ferrocyanide (prussiate of potash) is one of the reported ingredients in Kasenit. Although the can of Kasenit I have contains dark gray contents, not light yellow, so I assume it is only a component of a mix, not the pure compound -- unless the formula had changed when I bought mine.
While described as non-poisonous in itself, (and even used as an anti-caking agent in food) it must be kept away from strong acids in order not to liberate deadly hydrocyannic acid. My concerns are in any experimental mix people may come up with using other unknown chemicals in combination and subjected to heat, forming acids or otherwise liberating HCN.
I would avoid using potassium ferrocyaanide as a mix with anything else unless you are absolutely certain of the chemical reactions that will occur at high temperatures.
As a precaution, also, I only case harden with Kasenit outdoors.
Manxmodder:
--- Quote from: awemawson on May 12, 2015, 12:57:52 PM ---
--- Quote from: RobWilson on May 12, 2015, 11:58:25 AM ---Interesting Steve :thumbup:
You say easy to get items/chemicals ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,can I use Ebay ? as I am finding that getting hold of Prussiate of potash is easier than the"pith of a rams horn " ,no listing for the latter :Doh:
Rob
--- End quote ---
You should have said Rob - I have two Rams Horns drying on a beam in the stable - you want the pith it's yours :ddb:
--- End quote ---
Rob doesn't seem the type that would take the pith out of anyone on these forums :)
What I am going to try is tapping a thread into some different samples of hardwood blocks and screw in a piece of low carbon threaded rod. Seal them up in a tin from air and pop them into the wood stove to bake and see if the steel will take on a case of carbon......OZ.
vtsteam:
Cool, Oz, thank you! :thumbup: :beer:
Will_D:
I agrree about the look of Kasenite. Mine looked like a mixture of black, grey and white stuff(and some might have been crystaline and some amorphous). Definitely no signs of a yellow crystals.
If you want to buy Yellow prussiate of soda (don't you love the old names: "Whats that gov.? Honest gov. there be no cyanides in here!)" just look for that well known food additive E535 which is Sodium Ferrocyanide. It is Food grade - just don't add strong acids as it will liberate HCN (Hydrogen Cyanide*)
However as it is used in a closed container that is heated to dull red in a furnace, forge, BBQ, or with massive propane torch I wouldn't worry about any HCN being produced
*Little known fact:
Hydrogen Cyanide is actually less toxic than Hydrogen Sulphide (Rotten Egg Gas)(H2S that every school lab made in the infamous Kipps Apparatus (H2SO4 and FeS).
Also H2S has the sneaky property that it smells like rotten eggs in minute concentrations but as the concentration rises to toxic levels the olfactory senses (Nose) shuts down and no longer smells it. This is why so many people are killed on farms by entering slurry pits and the like!
S. Heslop:
I've been thinking about doing a stupid experiment to see if sodium ferrocyanide releases hydrogen cyanide when hot (600°Cish) in the presence of water vapour. Can't find any of it for sale in the usual places though.
I did chemistry at university and it's amazing how much i've forgotten over the last year and a bit. I'd like to be brainy and try figure it out with maths but it's all gone. Either way I think it'd be doubtful, the iron-cyanide bond is very strong.
But it's all pointless if it's impossible to buy (in the UK at least. There's an ebay seller in the US with it). I'm probably on a watchlist now after searching for chemicals.
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