Would you like to experiment with homemade liquid nitrogen? There is good and bad news. Unfortunately, you can't make actual liquid nitrogen using simple household items. The good news is that you can make cryogenic alcohols, especially isopropyl alcohol, which can mimic some aspects of liquid nitrogen, especially the ability to reach very cold temperatures. Cryogenic alcohol can reach -80 degrees Celsius (whereas liquid nitrogen reaches -196 degrees Celsius). If you have some cold-temperature experiment ideas, cryogenic alcohol might be the perfect choice.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Making Alcohol Cryogenic Temperature
Step 1. Wear the right clothes
Wear long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy gloves. Also wear protective eyewear, and tie your hair back if it's too long. While this may all seem excessive, cryogenic alcohol is highly flammable, and can cause dizziness and irritate the skin.
The workplace should be free from food and drink, and should also be well ventilated and away from hot surfaces or flames
Step 2. Prepare tools and materials
You will need a 2 L soda bottle, a smaller plastic bottle (such as a smaller soda bottle) that can fit into a larger soda bottle, scissors, 99% isopropyl alcohol, and dry ice pellets.
Both bottles must be empty, clean and dry. If the bottle label is removed, you will be able to see the formation of cryogenic temperature alcohol
Step 3. Prepare both bottles
Use sharp scissors to cut approximately 7.5 cm from the top of the bottle. Recycle or throw away the top.
Make sure the smaller bottle fits easily into the larger bottle
Step 4. Insert the smaller bottle into the larger bottle
Previously, use scissors to make holes around the bottom and sides of the smaller bottle. Then, put the smaller bottle into the larger bottle.
Step 5. Add dry ice pellets
Evenly, pour dry ice into the 2 L bottle while holding the smaller empty bottle in the center. Dry ice will balance the bottle.
- If you don't have dry ice in pellet form, you can break it yourself. Carefully with a knife, break the dry ice into 1cm pieces.
- Always wear gloves when handling dry ice, as it can injure exposed skin.
Step 6. Pour the isopropyl alcohol about 5 cm high
Pour the alcohol slowly, directly onto the dry ice pellets. Turn the bottle gradually as you pour as the dry ice will start to form a mist and make it difficult for you to see.
- If you use a lower concentration of isopropyl alcohol, the solution will freeze into a thick gel.
- Remember, don't touch the cryogenic alcohol, which will stick to your hands.
Step 7. Wait until the liquid stops bubbling
Once the dry ice has stopped misting, you will be able to see that the smaller bottle now contains a few centimeters of cryogenic alcohol. You can now start using the liquid in your experiments.
The liquid is now at its lowest temperature. You have to be very careful when handling it
Step 8. Pour liquid nitrogen into a strong container, and label it properly
This liquid can be stored at room temperature for later use for up to 30 days. After that, dispose of the isopropyl alcohol according to local regulations.
Do not inhale, touch, or consume cryogenic alcohol. If the liquid gets into the eyes or skin, rinse repeatedly with water. If inhaled, go to fresh air and rest. Call a poison control center if you feel unwell
Part 2 of 2: Using Cryogenic Alcohol
Step 1. Try freezing things
This is a simple experiment. Use tongs to dip the object into the cryogenic alcohol until the object hardens. Pick it up, and break it, if you want.
Flowers, leaves, fruit, vegetables, and small rubber balls are just a few examples of things you can freeze and break using cryogenic alcohol. Don't eat these items, and remember to wear gloves when doing the experiment
Step 2. Dip a small balloon to create "liquid air"
Use a balloon small enough to fit into a container of cryogenic alcohol. While wearing the gloves, dip the balloon almost completely in the liquid. The balloon will start to shrink, and you will see the liquid inside the balloon.
To make the "liquid air" in the balloon return to gas, just place the balloon in a warm place, and wait for the particles to move faster and expand
Step 3. Break the ball
Roll the plasticine into a ball, and dip it in cryogenic alcohol. Drop it on the floor or some other hard surface, and watch as the ball shatters.
Step 4. Research potential experiments
If you come across an experiment that uses liquid nitrogen, consider whether or not it can be carried out with cryogenic alcohol. Liquid nitrogen forms nitrogen gas, while alcohols at cryogenic temperatures do not. Choose an experiment that uses liquid nitrogen only as a temperature reducer.
Never eat any of your experiments with cryogenic food and alcohol
Warning
- Keep cryogenic alcohol out of reach of children. This liquid must be stored away from flames or heat sources, and disposed of properly, according to local regulations.
- Do not inhale, touch, or consume cryogenic alcohol. If the liquid gets into the eyes or skin, rinse repeatedly with water. If inhaled, go to fresh air and rest. Call a poison control center if you feel unwell.
- While you can use cryogenic alcohol in place of liquid nitrogen in some experiments, be aware that cryogenic alcohol does not produce nitrogen gas, which may be necessary in some experiments.
