That sounds like a good idea.  Melting pennies would be easier that buying zinc, but I'm going to compare prices, you never know =P .  How would one remove the copper?  Is it all on top of the melted metal?


-Brian

Actually the copper stays in chunks since the melting point of zinc is a lot lower than that of copper.  All you have to do is let all of the pennies melt and then scoop out the copper chunks with anything..You will probably need to stir the pennies once they start melting.  A spoon even works fine for it.  I would make sure it is not a spoon you want to use again.  I would also say that you do need to do this in a well ventilated area because I am not sure of the affects of vaporized zinc, but I have heard it can cause problems.  Just make sure you do not breathe in the fumes and that you do it in a well aired area and always uses good welding gloves or something of that sort when pouring.  No need in getting nasty burns if it hits your hands.  If you can do something to protect yourself from harm, DO IT.  Wear safety glasses and protect any exposed areas.  Unlike a lot of the other metals, Zinc will pour and mold very easily to anything that you want it to mold to without a lot splatter.  Make sure you are using dry pennies and where you pour it also dry.  Think of it this way, one roll of 50 pennies could make a very nice zinc rod for your experiment.  And like everything with the government, they only use the best.  So it will be a very pure grade of zinc.  The main thing to remember is common sense is the main ingredient of all experiments and if your shelf is empty of it, wait till you get some.  Without it, injury is sure to follow.

Resin is right... Unless you have experience with metal working, whether it be welding or actual melting of other metals, this may not be the best of ideas.  I am merely trying to help the project along by providing both a cheap and readily available source of very pure zinc.  The way I look at it is sure, buying them from this site might be the easy thing to do, it is certainly not the cheapest and by far not the fastest.  I am sure there are a couple days wait on orders placed and well if time is money, then that is a lot of lots time and money.  Just trying the help the site out.  I will gladly help anyone out who needs me to provide some zinc rods for them if they are scared to try this and are not willing to pay the money they want.  let me know

Resin,

How's progress with the new reactor going?

-Brian

As the old saying goes - "If you don't have time to do it right, you'd better have time to do it over."  No need to hurry   Heh, good luck with the reactor!

-Brian

So will this reactor be able to regenerate itself?  I think that even if we can regenerate the zinc electrode via a simple charge, that it would be sufficient.  It's better than drawing 8 amps to make hydrogen, right?

the aluminum electrode inserted into the zinc electrode

Hi ResinRat2,
can you post the image of that electrode? How did you prepare it? I would like to try it too...
And can you weigh the Al/Zinc electrode before and after your experiment? (after hours or days... if you have some digital scale...?) - to be sure that zinc is not consumed...

Is there really greater production of gas on T/C rods than on pure tungsten rods? Is it welding T/C rod? (I want to know where to get it -- I have only pure tungsten rod now.)

And this article is interesting:
http://pesn.com/2007/05/17/9500471_Hydrogen_via_Aluminum_Gallium/
=Hydrogen from metals(alluminium and gallium in water)

--michael