Iodine Solution help?

December 13, 2005 6:11 PM

ScienceExperimentFilter: Iodine Watch.....A science experiment for my daughter is requiring "Iodine Solution" which I know is different from the alcohol-based first-aid "tincture of Iodine" found at the drug store. Where would I go to find a water-based "Iodine Solution?" I would like to find it locally as opposed to the net where I found several places. But what kind of establishment would SELL the solution? Thanks in advance!
posted by Independent Scholarship to science & nature (28 comments total)

Unfortunetly, this is one of the key ingredients used to make Meth, so it may be hard to come by.
posted by delmoi at 6:13 PM on December 13, 2005

I was going to suggest a medical supply store, as it might be used as a disinfectant: didn't know about the meth connection, so who knows
posted by edgeways at 6:17 PM on December 13, 2005

oh, another thought. If it is to be used in staining in a biological experiment perhaps calling a local university/college bio dept and asking
posted by edgeways at 6:19 PM on December 13, 2005

Well, I found it at a couple of places that specialize in selling experiment-related items online -- (like this place)

They sell them in small bottles so it's no use to meth-labs. I literally need only enough for three or four drops. I have heard that it is used in agricultural medicine. But, I haven't a clue as to where I should be looking locally. Just don't want to wait to order over the Internet.
posted by Independent Scholarship at 6:20 PM on December 13, 2005

I'm looking around. I found one article about extracting iodine from iodine tincture, but that was geared towards crankheads (seriously). I also found this
cool page with photos of someone mixing pure sodium metal (!) and iodine.
posted by delmoi at 6:24 PM on December 13, 2005

I.S: That site offers next-day shipping for $22.
posted by delmoi at 6:27 PM on December 13, 2005

well, tincture of iodine is mostly water, ethyl alcohol, and iodine, with some iodine salts. if you can live with the salts, just pour it into a glass dish, let the alcohol evaporate and then dissolve the iodine crystals with hot water.

if you really must have pure iodine, you can convert it relatively easily (this coming from some kind of drug site, it appears, so i buy the meth connection). you can get HCl at a pool supply store under the name muriatic acid.

standard disclaimer here about no guarantees re the safety of this method, but from the looks of it, it should be pretty safe. just be careful with the hydrochloric acid.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 6:31 PM on December 13, 2005

Those pictures were pretty interesting! However, I don't think I want my daughter trying that one! Who would have thought this would be so hard to come by?

Maybe the calling a science department at a college (suggested by edgeways) may be the answer.

Hummmmm...............
posted by Independent Scholarship at 6:31 PM on December 13, 2005

I'm surprised The Temple of the Screaming Electron is still around! I'm not so sure about trying the conversion. My daughter is only 11, so I'm trying to keep it age-appropriate as far as difficulty. I may have to spring for that overnight shipping. (arghhhhh)
posted by Independent Scholarship at 6:35 PM on December 13, 2005

what is the experiment she's doing? we might be able to tell you whether you can just use the first method i proposed..
posted by sergeant sandwich at 6:38 PM on December 13, 2005

We are going to be adding iodine solution to baking soda, and then to baking powder to demonstrate the chemical changes of the soda versus the powder. In this particular textbook, we are not told what the differences will be - only to observe the interactions and detail them. Thanks, Sarge.
posted by Independent Scholarship at 6:44 PM on December 13, 2005

Got to Riteaid or Longs and buy betadine solution (not the scrub) or the generic iodine solution in the first aid aisle. Or go to a tack and feed store and buy it cheaper if you live in the burbs.
posted by fshgrl at 6:45 PM on December 13, 2005

She just said, "Forget it dad, I can just practice my cheerleading this week and push science back a week." I told her. "Good try, but not so fast, young lady. The MeFite army is at work."
posted by Independent Scholarship at 6:48 PM on December 13, 2005

oh, ok. i think even using the plain ol' tincture would be fine, actually. the presence of sodium iodide won't have much of an effect (in fact, that's what you'll be making in the experiment, so it's no problem). if you want to do it by-the-book then do the evaporation method. spoiler here to what will happen, if you want to know ahead of time. personally i wouldn't!
posted by sergeant sandwich at 6:59 PM on December 13, 2005

whoops. on second look, that spoiler site is pretty bad. this one is better.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 7:03 PM on December 13, 2005

Sgt....I think that's what we'll do. Walgreens just told me they have the tincture for $1.99 - so we're not out a lot of money if it doesn't work. Nope - I'm tempted - but I'm going to pass on the spoiler. Maybe. No, I will... and we are off to Walgreens. Thanks everybody!

-
posted by Independent Scholarship at 7:03 PM on December 13, 2005

I also think the tincture will work here. At least it won't hurt to try.
posted by easternblot at 7:04 PM on December 13, 2005

also note the "teacher tip" on p. 2 of this PDF, and check the ingredients on your box of baking powder. seriously, last post on this. i promise.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 7:05 PM on December 13, 2005

If your daughter's school is requiring you to purchase items that are not readily available in local stores you should not go out of your way to obtain them. You should complain. First to the teacher. Then, if that doesn't get you anywhere, to the principal. You may have the resources to ask metafilter, but not every parent does. Seriously.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 7:09 PM on December 13, 2005

A "tincture" of anything is, by definition, a solution in alcohol.

Iodine comes in a tincture because iodine isn't very soluble in water. It's very likely that the science experiment will work just fine with an iodine tincture, and that's what was intended, just sloppy copy-editing somewhere along the way. ("Tincture? Little kids won't know what that means... let's change it to solution.")
posted by jellicle at 7:13 PM on December 13, 2005

Another vote for tincture=solution.
posted by TimeFactor at 7:29 PM on December 13, 2005

Back in the day we used to procure iodine crystals to make contact explosives, a kind of paint that when dry would explode with the slightest contact.

Bought the formula for $5 from the back pages of a comic book.

But by now those twitchy tweakers have probably ruined it for everyone.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:27 PM on December 13, 2005

Guys- you can buy iodine solution at the drug store.
posted by fshgrl at 11:06 PM on December 13, 2005

Tincture is in ethanol, solution is aqueous, btw.
posted by fshgrl at 11:07 PM on December 13, 2005

fshgrl - your link timed out.

but the "iodine solution" you were pointing to was betadine solution, a commonly used antiseptic.

the iodine in betadine is povidone-iodine. Poly(1-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)ethylene)iodine complex. the guy wants elemental iodine.

cripes.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 11:49 PM on December 13, 2005

Elemental iodine is going to be kind of hard to find in solution, unless they really do mean tincture or order it from a speciality place (which I can't imagine the teacher expects them to do). If we knew exactly what it was for it might be easier to tell which would work.

As an aside, is there anything toxic or explosive that isn't an ingredient of meth?
posted by fshgrl at 12:34 AM on December 14, 2005

Iodine is used for water treatment. You can buy little bottles with iodine crystals inside, designed specifically for making a small quantity of saturated solution of iodine. As pictured (and offered for sale) here.
posted by sfenders at 7:03 AM on December 14, 2005

delmoi scribbled "this is one of the key ingredients used to make Meth, so it may be hard to come by."

It's also one of two components of an easy to make, highly unstable high explosive. Even 15 years ago it was a bit hard to buy in quantity. We used to get it from a janitorial supply.

Independent Scholarship scribbled "Who would have thought this would be so hard to come by?"

Welcome to Battalion Aid on the front of the war on some drugs. I had a big box last year delay me for 15 minutes just because they thought I was buying too many batteries. Where too many = more than 1 package.
posted by Mitheral at 9:17 AM on December 14, 2005