# Homemade Lead Nitrate Author: MeWe's Viking Child Use 500ml Erlenmeyer flask and add 250ml Distilled water. Add 90 grams of lead (without any copper). Then add 60ml of 70% N.A. let it sit a 3-4 days. Come back to it. If it is no longer bubbling, then it is done. There will be some Pb (lead) fragments remaining. (If there is no lead remaining, then add a 10 to 20 grams of lead. Let it rest another day. Repeat until some lead remains). Remove any remaining undissolved lead, filter with good quality filter paper or a double coffee filter, put the clear solution out on 2 large 16 inch glass dishes to air dry. Never inside living spaces! Detached garage or shed is best. I would open the garage door a few inches from floor if you are using an attached garage. There should be 135 to 140 grams of Lead Nitrate crystals. Note: The amount of distilled water is the minimum. Adding another 50ml is preferable. --- ![[leadnitrate.jpg]] --- HNO3 (nitric acid) H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) Just a few points. Homemade lead nitrate can be made by purchasing 70 percent HNO3 and using scrap lead. If you don’t want to purchase HNO3 and want to make HNO3, it will also require the purchase of nitrate salts and reagent grade H2SO4 or processing drain cleaner to make reagent grade H2SO4. The latter is two more added procedures. Having said that, you cannot advance to nitrocellulose among other things without that knowledge. To be honest, there are only two pieces of knowledge that are required to make lead nitrate from store purchased HNO3. 1: the solubility of lead nitrate in water, which is 56.5g/100ml @ 20 C. 2: the use of HNO3 as the limit reagent for the reaction. --- Sources for Acid are Ace Hardware and Walmart RotoRoot Drain Cleaner 93% (Ace Hardware) 1/2 Gal $16.99 https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/drain-openers/drain-cleaners/42790 Liquid Fire 92.3% (Ace Hardware) 1 Gal $32.99 https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/drain-openers/drain-cleaners/4100475 Nitric Acid (Walmart) 69.9% 32oz $31.88 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nitric-Acid-69-9-32-ounces/430846638?from=/search