How to make glow stick goo.

Ever wonder how that two part solution works or if you can make your own? The answers are in here.

Step 1: You will need....

Chemicals Required:
Sodium Hydroxide (lye)You can use "Red Devil" drain cleaner or buy it on eBay.

Luminol, also available on eBay.

Hydrogen Peroxide (3% drugstore variety)

Sodium Ferrocyanide, also known as tetrasodium hexacyanoferrate or sodium hexacyanoferrate (II), is
(of course) also available on eBay.

Container to mix in. DO NOT USE METAL!!! They may react with the sodium hydroxide. Especially aluminium.
Generally this in non toxic, but that isn't an excuse for abuse!

Comments

[mailordergeek]

do you know how to make different colors? food dye maybe?

[Ugifer]

You need a fluorescent dye to change the colour - you can buy fluorescene cheaply (for yellow) or can probably use the dye from a fluorescent highlighter pen.

[Ugifer]

Also, if you have any old glow-sticks, the glow may be exhausted but you could probably re-use the solution to colour your luminol reaction.

[kutz]

well, maybe it would be a better idea to think in terms of fireworks? Phosphorus and such would be more likely

[devony4ever]

do you need the Sodium Ferrocyanide

[Ugifer]

It's the complexed metal that you need - in this case iron.

You don't specifically need Ferrocyanide - they use luminol as a test for the iron in blood (if you ever watch CSI). Something like "sequestered iron" that you buy for plants would almost certainly work equally well, but you do need something (assuming you don't want to open an artery).

[gnomio]

With this recipe, YES.

D'oh!

[Krimm]

Duh, where can I get sum water? You mean the stuff from the toilet? Huh, huh, huh. I betcha Mine will glow if I set a match to it...

[Pearlesquent]

Would it be weird to do this as a high school chem. experiment? We get to choose our last one and i'm looking for something cool...

[Aerospaced]

This would be a good, safe experiment for your class. the only protective equipment required for a class room setting would be goggles, gloves and an apron. easy to do and neat to look at too. much safer than my thermite.

[Pearlesquent]

Thank you! :)

[Sovaka]

How do we get the different colours do you know? Can we just add food colouring?

[devony4ever]

no

[MaXoR]

But to answer your question, one way would be to use a lighting gel wrapped around your container, or shoved inside the container, to change the spectrum of visible light.

[MaXoR]

That is like asking if you can change a blue LED to orange by shoving it into food coloring...... think about that?!

[Aerospaced]

I never did pursue it beyond "ooooo neat it glows."

[Father Christmas]

lol. I know how that is. Always fun to marvel at something so simple yet so complicated.

[SLKestrel]

so cool! 2 questions-- how long does that last for, and chemically what is it that makes that glow if you know? so crazy nicely done ^_

[devony4ever]

The chemical that makes it glow is the luminal

[Aerospaced]

It usually lasts for about eight hours, depending on the temperature. As for how it works, I haven't a clue really.

[mariolh]

I did a little searching and found this experiment:
http://www.chem.leeds.ac.uk/delights/texts/Demonstration_23.htm

Apparently this experiment uses Potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) which is very toxic, but produces GREEN. Make sure you review the safety information on the linked page.

[-Aj-]

mnyessssss, i can see giant vats of glowing yellow fluid already. excellent

[carpe_noctem]

blue actually (see step four), but yeah

[-Aj-]

oh btw, any idea is it possible to reverse the reaction? separate it back out somehow? if not then im just hoping i can buy the ingredients cheaply :P oh also, an important point, how do you safely dispose of this stuff? cause things like Luminol and Sodium Ferrocyanide dont sound very healthy and im not sure if it would be a good idea to just sink it.

[shadowhaunt]

Hi! I really love this, but do you know if the luminol can be bought in a store? And do you know whether you can put this on clothes and safely be able to wash it out too? If so i might have the watergun idea at my birthday :)

[markxp4000]

Where can i find hidrogen peroxide???

[Cyberscann54]

almost any store except clothing and toy stores has it drug stores have to have it. it always comes in a dark bottle that blocks light cause it is light sensitive

[garrett10]

what happens if you expose it to light?

[Fizzxwizz]

It breaks down into water

[Cyberscann54]

peroxide breaks down when exposed to light and it will become ineffective and not capable of doing its job

[Aerospaced]

Any Pharmacy/Chemist/Druggest/Apothacary or grocery store. You will find it in the first aid section.

[dchall8]

This is really cool, but whenever I see the word, CYANIDE, I get a little jumpy. Surely there is a way to do this using safe chemicals. Even though your mixtures seem pretty weak, are there any alternatives?

[paperwf]

it is safe.if you want know more about the glow products,please contace me [e-mail]  MSN:[e-mail]

[PoDuck]

Sodium ferrocyanide is also known as yellow prussiate of soda. It is used in table salt as an anti-caking agent. If you read the MSDS, it states that it is not toxic, yet I would still worry about drinking the stuff, especially when you're using sodium hydroxide. People also need to be careful with non-solution sodium hydroxide. It is extremely exothermic when mixed with water, although the quantity used in this is not enough to worry about.

[iman]

ya dont need to be too jumpy :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_ferrocyanide

[musicalbee2003]

"When they see us coming, the birdies all try and hide, but they still go for peanuts when coated with cyanide!"

[Aerospaced]

Ahh yes, poisoning pigeons in the park. One of my favorites from the Dr. Demento days. And thanks iman for straightening that for dchall8.

[iman]

lol

[Spacecoyote]

I wonder if Prussian Blue (aka Laundry Bluing) would work in place of sodium ferrocyanide.

[Kinnishian]

 It's the same thing, you're set.