Hi, Please can anyone explain how to make high quality copper sulphate from clean copper wire perhaps. I will make crystals from the solution but need crystals with as little impurities as possible. It will eventually be used in a recipe for the treatment of algae in swimming pools.

Hmmm... from copper wire? My first idea would be by reacting it with sulphiric acid but since it it not so reactive...

If you had copper carbonate, or copper oxide, it would be easier. The addition of sulphuric acid will produce a solution of copper sulphate, which you crystallise. Be sure to have a copper carbonate or oxide as pure as possible, which you'll use in excess, so that there is no more acid left.

Anyway, that's what I do in my school lab.

What strength acid should I use and how much oxide? Do I keep adding copper oxide until it won't desolve any more? Should the acid be heated and to what temperature? Can you direct me to a website that explains the whole procedure in plain english? After further research I might still have to come back to this thread.

Sorry Jerry, thank you for your input.
Richard.

Heating the system will tend to increase the rate of reaction, but since the reaction is exothermic, the rate of reaction will decrease after some temperature.

Strength of acid? You use what you get, but be careful, acids are corrosive.

Ok, do you need anymore advice? For a more appropriate site, sorry, I know none. You can try to look for one though. But I think I gave the most I could, I'm still studying! :) I'll be having my Chemistry exams in 2 weeks.

See you later perhaps :)

Thanks Jerry thanks for the help and good luck with the exams.
I have 98% sulphuric but I'll dilute it for these experiments... 35%

What kind of volume are you after? How many moles?

6Kg per week. Don't know what moles are.

Ok, if you want, moles is a measure in chemistry.

1 mole of copper (II) sulphate has a mass of 144 grams.

So 6 kg will have about 41.7 moles. :)

I was just thinking it's probably cheaper to buy it in than make your own - but I'm not certain.

Most copper based pool solutions will stain the pool walls. A guy here in South Africa, makes his own copper crystals from very clean copper wire and as far as I know, his product is the only one that does not stain the walls. I want to try and add small amounts of copper to my recipe but the oxide we can buy here is industrial and has a lot of impurities which may cause staining.