hello. i have a bike frame that is made from aluminum. It has a warning about keeping Ammonia away from it. Why? What will happen if Ammonia comes in contact with the bike?
Thank You.
Ian
I tried to google you an answer so I would have a cite but I failed. I also failed Chem (well never too kit) but when you combine Ammonia and aluminum you create a reaction that weakens the bike
kyou combine Ammonia and aluminum you create a reaction that weakens the bike
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Exactly. The reaction between aluminum and Ammonia (Ammonium hydroxide) is similar to the one between aluminum and sodium hydroxide (lye).
Here’s a link describing the Al, NaOH reaction. If you’ve ever used Drano, which is a mixture of sodium hydroxide pellets and Aluminum flakes you’ve seen this reaction. You end up with boiling water and a bunch of sodium alumininate. The bits of aluminum dissolve completely. If you use Ammonia rather than sodium hydroxide the reaction just goes a bit slower, and you get ammonium aluminates rather than sodium aluminates. The bits of aluminum, or your bike frame, still dissolves.
WTH ? Something ate the first few words of the quote.
“If you combine aluminum and ammoniayou create…”
minor Hijack…I read that if you put aluminum in drano you get hydrogen and put a balloon over the neck you can catch it to make a hydrogen bomb of somekind. Could this work?
“Hydrogen bomb” ? Maybe the Hindenburg sort, but not the Arms Limitation Treaty sort. See http://www.wackyuses.com/hydrogen.html for an example. Please note that this should be supervised by an adult, and it wouldn’t hurt to have an ambulance standing by. 
bump
I’m not sure if ammonia is the same as the stuff in toilet cleaner, but if it is…
An ex-friend of mine (llllooong story) showed me, much to my delight, that if you mix toilet cleaner and aluminum foil in a bottle, it will explode after a few minutes. Oh, how much fun it was to leave those things near no-tresspassing signs!
~ monica
Remember folks-Always wear the proper saftey equipment!
That and a little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing.
Some home science projects(like the fine example in the link) are harmless. Some are good ways to win a Darwin award.
My landlord only charges me for hot water. Electric current and the proper electrodes will spilt water into oxygen and hydrogen. In theory, I could easily get enough hydrogen to fill that one-seat, pedal-driven blimp I’ve always wanted. In practice, I’d rather not be electrocuted, start an electrical fire, or keep a large amount of a volatile gas in the apartment.[sub]that and builing an ultralite aircraft entirely from recycled junk is a much more appealing project.[/sub]
Another thing you can do is get some canned air from staples, best buy, walmart, etc. then turn it upside down and spray it into a soda bottle or film canister and watch it explode (10 seconds to a minute for the film canisters; I’ve never tried bottles).
Reported.
Since this reply today has little to do with the OP, closed.
samclem