EXAMPLE 5
Production of Cesium Metal From Cesium Hydroxide
In the procedure described in FIG. 1, a mixture of 32.5 g cesium hydroxide (217 millimoles), 5.4 g magnesium chips (220 millimoles) and 300 ml
undecane are heated with stirring at the boiling temperature of 196.degree. C. in the procedure of Example 1. 1.6 g (22 millimoles) tertiary butanol
dissolved in undecane are then added in drops during 25 min and the contents of the reactor is heated with refluxing for additional 13 hours (H.sub.2
O evolution: 22 millimoles). After cooling to temperatures below the melting point of cesium, the reaction product mixture is poured onto a fine-mesh
sieve to separate cesium regulus having a silvery luster from the magnesia. When the molten cesium has been filtered through a frit, the pure metal is
obtained in a yield of 11.2 g, corresponding to 39% of theory.
EXAMPLE 6
Production of Cesium Metal From Cesium Alkoxide
In a reactor as described in Example 1, 69.6 g cesium hydroxide (443 millimoles CsOH, 176 millimoles H.sub.2 O) and 18.0 g (741 millimoles) magnesium
chips in 300 ml dodecane are heated. with stirring at the boiling temperature (216.degree. C.) for 1.5 hours. The H.sub.2 evolution resulting from the
dehydration amounted to 180 millimoles.
Thereafter, a mixture of 33.0 g (445 millimoles) tertiary butanol and 50 ml dodecane is added in drops within 2 hours and the mixture is then
maintained at the boiling temperature for an additional hour. This resulted in an evolution of 440 millimoles H.sub.2 owing to the formation of cesium
tertiary butylate.
The reaction product mixture consisted of a grey suspension and contained cesium spheres, which has a silvery luster and had been formed by the
reaction of the cesium tertiary butylate with the surplus magnesium metal (122 millimoles). When the reaction product mixture had cooled to about
20.degree. C. it was filtered through a sieve to separate the cesium metal. Yield: 11.7 g (88 millimoles)=36% of theoretical yield. The filtrate that
had passed through the sieve was filtered through a frit. The residue retained on the frit was washed several times with tetrahydrofurane.
From the frit filtrate containing 276 millimoles cesium butylate and 84 millimoles magnesium butylate, pure cesium butylate could be recovered by
recrystallization from a mixture of tetrahydrofurane and toluene. |
