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Making silicon and silanes from sand

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Heat magnesium and sand together to produce silicon by an exothermic reaction.

Magnesium and sand are heated together and silicon is produced by an exothermic reaction. The product is placed in acid to remove magnesium oxide and unreacted magnesium. Small amounts of silanes are produced by the reaction of magnesium silicide (a side product) with the acid. These react spontaneously with air to give spectacular but harmless small explosions.

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Making silicon and silanes from sand
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This practical is part of our Chemistry for non-specialists and Classic chemistry demonstrations collections.

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