First, when SbCl3 reacts with water, it forms SbO+, H+ and Cl-. Upon electrolysis, the SbO+ deposits on the cathode where it is reduced to Sb metal by reacting with the hydrogen activity generated there. No Cl- is expected to be present in this deposit. Even if some SbCl2+ were to deposit, it would be quickly reduced to Sb metal by reaction with hydrogen. So, where does the claimed SbCl3 come from?
If the claimed energy is actually 19600 cal/g, this is equal to 19600*121.76 = 2.38 x 10^6 cal/mole, which is too much to be real.
So we have two anomalies, the presence of Cl and too much energy. Does anyone care to speculate that the Cl results from fission of Sb?
Regards, Ed
Horace Heffner wrote:
At 3:41 AM 2/28/5, Frederick Sparber wrote:
The explosion is attended by the allotropic transformation of then metastable or alpha-form of antimony into the stable beta-form or the rhombohedral variety, at the same time the temperature rises to about 250 degrees C, and 19,600 calories of heat are evolved per gram of antimony.
Clouds of antimony trichloride are given off at the same time. Hence the term Explosive Antimony is given to a solid solution( 4 to 12 percent ) of the trihalide in alpha-antimony."
The heat of combustion of H2 + 1/2 O2 is 54,000 calories per mole (18 grams) , or 3.000 calories per gram
The 19,600 calories per gram released by Explosive Antimony is over 6.5 times this.
Note - 19,600 cal/g of Sb is only 161 cal/mol.
On initial application of current there should be a flash deposit of Hydrogen on the Platinum Cathode. After that, a mix of Antimony Chlorine and Hydrogen.
The exotherm energies of Antimony Chloride or Oxide is less than 2.5 Kilojoule per gram.
Way below the 82 Kilojoule per gram of Explosive Antimony that Gore reported in 1855.
The 19,600 cal/g released by explosive antimony is only 161 cal/mol = 0.674 kJ/mol.
Codeposited hydrogen may be in atomic form. Consider the reaction H + H -> H2 + (436 kJ/mol = 104,000 cal/mol). That's 218 kJ/mol of H. Considerable energy has to be subtracted from this for the ionic bond of adsorbed H2 though.
Given H2 + 1/2 O2 is 54,000 calories per mole (18 grams), *if* the freed H2 is converted to water, that's 54,000 calories per mole of H2 freed. H2 is only 2 grams per mole, thus an additional 27,000 cal/mol of H, or 113 kJ/mol of H is obtained for that H which finds oxygen. Some oxygen may be available in the form of animony oxide or included H2O2.
The energy of even less than 1 percent adsorbed hydrogen may account for a significan part of the 0.674 kJ/mol given off by explosive Sb. The values 113 kj/mol and 218 kJ/mol dwarf the 0.674 kJ/mol obtained from explosive antimony. The 0.674 kJ/mol is small enough it may just be primarily from change of metastable to stable state.
Hopefully I got the numbers about right.
Regards,
Horace Heffner
