Abstract
Zinc butyl xanthate (Zn(bxt)2) was prepared using both AR-grade and commercial-grade n-butyl alcohol (n-BuOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), carbon disulphide (CS2), and zinc chloride (ZnCl2). The effect of the order of mixing of the reactants on the reaction time and the yield of Zn(bxt)2 was studied. The effect of the amount of ZnCl2 used for precipitation on the yield of Zn(bxt)2 was also investigated. The irritating smell of Zn(bxt)2 could be reduced considerably by using commercial-grade reagents. The yield of Zn(bxt)2 could be increased and the reaction time reduced. The maximum yield was obtained when 1 mol% ZnCl2 was used. The Zn(bxt)2 obtained was characterised by means of Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and proton magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy.
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