Potassium Carbonate From Banana Peels

Summary

In this video, the creator demonstrates an affordable method to extract potassium carbonate from banana peels. They purchase cheap bananas, peel and dry them, then burn the peels to ash. After dissolving the ash in water and filtering, they obtain a basic potassium carbonate solution. Further purification steps yield a whiter product, resulting in 53 grams of relatively pure potassium carbonate from 954 grams of dried peels. The process showcases a DIY approach to chemical reagent extraction.

Takeaways

• 🍌 The video is about extracting potassium carbonate from banana peels.
• 💸 Bananas were purchased at a very low price of 5 cents per pound.
• 📦 The bananas were frozen, baked, and eaten, with peels set aside for extraction.
• 🔥 The peels were dried in an oven at 200°F, then crushed into a powder.
• 🔬 A total of 954g of dried peels were obtained and subjected to heating and burning.
• ⚱️ The banana peels were carbonized using a propane torch and left to burn overnight.
• 🌄 The next morning, the ashes were transferred and weighed, yielding 156g.
• 💧 Approximately 500mL of water was used to dissolve the potassium carbonate from the ashes.
• 🌀 The solution was filtered and the insoluble ash was rinsed away.
• 🔬 The solution was evaporated to dryness, resulting in a dark-colored potassium carbonate.
• 🧪 Further purification steps were taken to obtain 53g of relatively pure potassium carbonate.
• 📊 The banana peels were found to contain about 5.5% potassium carbonate by weight.

Q & A

What is the purpose of removing potassium salts from bananas?

The purpose is to extract potassium carbonate, which is a useful reagent for various chemical reactions and can also be used to produce potassium hydroxide.

How much did the bananas cost per pound?

The bananas cost 5 cents per pound.

What method was used to dry the banana peels?

The banana peels were dried in batches in an oven set to around 200°F.

How much dried banana peels were obtained after drying?

A total of 954 grams of dried banana peels were obtained.

How was the potassium carbonate extracted from the dried banana peels?

The dried banana peels were heated and burnt to ash, then the ash was dissolved in water and filtered to extract the potassium carbonate.

What was the weight of the ash obtained after burning the banana peels?

The ash weighed 156 grams.

How was the potassium carbonate solution filtered to remove insoluble ash?

The solution was vacuum filtered to remove the remaining insoluble ash.

What was the pH of the potassium carbonate solution?

The pH of the solution was quite basic, as expected for a potassium carbonate solution.

How was the potassium carbonate obtained after evaporating the solution?

The potassium carbonate was obtained by evaporating the solution to dryness on a hot plate.

What was the final weight of the relatively pure potassium carbonate obtained?

The final weight of the relatively pure potassium carbonate obtained was 53 grams.

What percentage of potassium carbonate is present in the banana peels by weight?

The banana peels contain about 5.5% potassium carbonate by weight.

What is the potential use of potassium carbonate mentioned in the script?

Potassium carbonate can be used for different reactions and can also be used to produce potassium hydroxide by thermal decomposition.