How do make potassium iodine?

Question

I want to make some elephant toothpaste and i want to get potassium iodine. I need the saturated kind so how do i make it? Or should i just buy the pills? Im trying to use not that much money. Also it there a way to make 3% hydrogen peroxide into saturated 30%?

Thanks

Answer 1

Potassium iodide is hard to make, primarily because iodine is a rare element.  Potassium iodide is the main way that iodine is supplied; to make it, you would need elemental iodine or an iodate (or an organic iodide, etc.), which are usually harder to get than KI is.  Don't buy the pills though; these contain binders, fillers, and other chemicals.  Look for a small sample of pure KI.  I would try eBay...

As for concentrating H2O2, it is difficult.  30% isn't saturated though; I'm pretty sure hydrogen peroxide is fully miscible in water all the way up through the nearly pure stuff that is used in rocketry.  Distillation is tricky as hydrogen peroxide will decompose at high temperatures.  You might try "freezing out" (pure water will freeze out first, leaving more concentrated H2O2 solution behind; see link) the hydrogen peroxide, or letting the water evaporate in a dark area (it is light sensitive).

Again though, you would be better off buying some.  It is sold as hair bleach, but in some areas you need to have a hairstylist license to buy it.  Believe it or not, some people think drinking hydrogen peroxide is good for you (it is not), and so "food grade" hydrogen peroxide can be obtained from some online drug/health stores.

30% is best kept refrigerated to reduce decomposition.  Another word of caution: 30% H2O2 can be used to make acetone peroxide and other organic peroxides, which are explosive and have been used by terrorists.  As such, purchases of this chemical may attract unwanted attention from the authorities - just use common sense when buying (don't buy from shady operations, only buy as much as you need, etc.).  Iodine is used to manufacture methamphetamine, but as far as I know, most authorities only regulate elemental iodine, not iodides, so you shouldn't have much trouble here.

Answer 2

If you can buy something, it is ALMOST ALWAYS cheaper than you can possibly make it! Thus, buy the final product. Somebody else has done a lot of work and is spreading the cost over many sales. Remember there is more to the cost than the ingredients.