Soluble metal ion to make heavy water?

[Another God]

Hi people. I am asking this for a friend, and he's not here right now, so I'm doing my best to remember exactly what it was that he was looking for, but I know that he is looking for something which is soluble, and I think he said Metal Ion, which is non-toxic etc, that can be used to make heavier water...

I know 'Heavy Water' uses Deuterium (Or whichever Isotope of Hydrogen it is), but I think he is looking for some additive solute to achieve a similar ends...

Anyone have any ideas? How do u make an alternative heavy water?

 

[Njorl]

Common salt. Very soluble, actually shrinks the volume of water, adds sodium and chlorine ions to the water. Other salts might be more soluble and more massive, but table salt is very easy to obtain. Also epsom salts would do. You can get them at the drug store.

Njorl

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by Another God
I know 'Heavy Water' uses Deuterium (Or whichever Isotope of Hydrogen it is), but I think he is looking for some additive solute to achieve a similar ends...

"Heavy water" isn't at all similar to what you described in your first paragraph. It isn't noticeably different from regular water unless you have a pretty accurate scale.

Salt is highly soluble in water and you could probably double the weight density by dissolving enough salt in it.

What exactly is the point of this? It may help us help you.

 

[Another God]

He is looking to reduce the height necessary for a water experiment which requires significant pressure head height to behave properly. If he can reduce the head height/pressure then the apparatus can be made smaller. Also Chlorine is very corrosive so something more inert would be nice. Something heavier than sodium would also be an advantage.

Thanx

 

[Bystander]

Static pressure, or is this a flow type experiment?

 

[russ_watters]

Does it have to be a liquid manometer? How about an electronic one?

 

[Njorl]

Originally posted by Another God
He is looking to reduce the height necessary for a water experiment which requires significant pressure head height to behave properly. If he can reduce the head height/pressure then the apparatus can be made smaller. Also Chlorine is very corrosive so something more inert would be nice. Something heavier than sodium would also be an advantage.

Thanx

Lithium heteropolytungstate solutions would do. They might be expensive to obtain, and have some toxicity issues though.

Of course, there's always mercury, but it would probably be better not to mess with it.

Njorl

 

[Another God]

Originally posted by Bystander
Static pressure, or is this a flow type experiment?

It's flow based.

And the toxic additives aren't really options, but thanks for trying Njorl

 

[Bystander]

This is starting to sound ugly --- flow, constant(?) head, and no additives --- can he (she? it?) stand the chatter from a regulator? or, is part of the experiment the milimetric uncertainty of a constant head device? Flow AND constant pressure are a tough order at the lab scale --- slip us a little more in the way of specs --- flow rate ranges, pressure ranges, acceptable uncertainties at the range extremes.