Can sodium or potassium cyanide be created at home with civilian ingredients
Executive summary
Technically, sodium cyanide (NaCN) and potassium cyanide (KCN) can be synthesized from common chemical precursors—many industrial and laboratory routes boil down to generating hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or converting cyanate/ferrocyanide intermediates and then combining the CN– with an alkali metal cation—but every published route requires hazardous reagents, controlled conditions, and expertise, and thus is neither safe nor appropriate for “home” manufacture [1] [2] [3] [4]. Open-source and forum accounts document possible DIY approaches, but they also emphasize severe toxicity, practical difficulty, and legal/supply restrictions [5] [6] [7].
1. How the chemistry is described in the literature: HCN + alkali gives NaCN/KCN
Authoritative chemistry references and patents frame alkali metal cyanide production as a two-part problem: produce or obtain hydrogen cyanide gas and then absorb it into an alkaline solution (for NaCN or KCN) to yield the salt—this is the basis of industrial synthesis and laboratory procedures [1] [2] [8]. The Wikipedia and patent sources summarize that treating HCN with sodium or potassium hydroxide is the conventional route to NaCN or KCN respectively [1] [2].
2. Laboratory and “green” academic routes are real but not household-friendly
Peer‑reviewed work has even demonstrated extracting HCN biologically—one 2022 academic paper reports recovering HCN released from cassava leaves and absorbing it into NaOH to produce “green‑NaCN” under vacuum and temperature control—but the methodology uses concentrated acids, NaOH, vacuum apparatus and analytical validation, underscoring that this is specialized lab work, not a simple kitchen trick [3]. Patents and industrial reports likewise assume synthesis gas handling, absorbers and crystallizers—equipment and process controls beyond casual practice [2] [8].
3. DIY lore, forums and warnings: possible, dangerous, discouraged
Hobbyist chemistry forums and wikis describe several methods—thermal decomposition of ferro/ferricyanide salts, high‑temperature reduction of cyanates, or reactions of molten strong bases with organic precursors—but these pages repeatedly warn of lethal risk, contamination, poor yields, and legal hurdles; community responders often refuse to provide practical instructions [5] [4] [6] [7]. An archival document labeled “homemade cyanide” exists in public repositories, indicating that clandestine attempts have been discussed historically, but its presence is a reason for caution rather than an endorsement [9].
4. Practical barriers: toxicity, reagent control, equipment, and availability
Producing cyanide salts requires handling HCN (a volatile, highly toxic gas) or hot molten caustics, strong oxidizers/reducers, or concentrated acids—each introduces severe inhalation, ingestion, and environmental hazards; lab textbooks and safety reviews emphasize that cyanide production and storage are industrial‑scale operations with strict controls and effluent destruction procedures [10] [1] [11] [12]. Chemical suppliers and community sources note that due to toxicity, regular commercial access is restricted and many firms will not sell to amateurs [5] [6].
5. Legal, ethical and public‑safety context
Publicly available toxicology and industrial guidance documents describe cyanide as a regulated industrial chemical with major uses in mining and manufacturing and with specific waste‑treatment requirements—meaning unsupervised synthesis and disposal pose legal and environmental liabilities [12] [1]. Spaces that discuss “homemade” cyanide are often met with community resistance; professional forums and some responders refuse to assist because of obvious misuse potential and lethality [7] [5].
6. Bottom line: capability vs. advisability
While multiple published and community sources make clear that chemistries exist that convert common chemical precursors into NaCN or KCN—ranging from industrial HCN absorption to thermal decomposition of ferrocyanides—those routes require dangerous intermediates, concentrated reagents, controlled conditions and specialized equipment, and carry grave risk to life, bystanders and the environment; the literature and community guidance therefore implicitly and explicitly discourage any “home” synthesis [2] [3] [5] [4]. Sources consulted do not provide safe, legal instructions for amateur production, and many experienced chemists decline to help with such procedures [7].