xfusion44 - 29-8-2015 at 04:43
Hi,
I noticed that in some cleaning products there was that ingredient, called sodium percarbonate (sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate). I decided to search
it on wiki and found out that it's fairly simple to make. You only need two ingredients: hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate. Reaction was steaming
hot, for a second I thought it would even ignite, but it didn't. Mixture became pretty hard, but I was able to crush it with plastic spoon. Or is it?
Mixture I mean. That's why I came here. To ask if someone would know something more about Na2CO3*1.5H2O2, otherwise known as PCS or solid hydrogen
peroxide. Is it compound or mixture? I'd say mixture, since its chemical formula suggests hydrated version of sodium carbonate (hydrated with hydrogen
peroxide). But I was impressed with how exothermic this reaction is, although its only mixture (as far as i know). Sodium percarbonate is bleaching
agent, based on oxygen, so I'm also wondering how could I test its oxidizing or bleaching power? On wiki it also says that it's lab source of
anhydrous H2O2, but how do you get H2O2 from it? By heating? But why there is no data on boiling point?
Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_percarbonate
Thanks to all! 
Pumukli - 29-8-2015 at 11:08
Xfusion44, very good topic!
I recently found out that this compound is available locally and is relatively inexpensive. So finding a few high yielding reactions would be nice.
:-)
Regarding your question on how one get H2O2 from it the wiki page reference section No. 7 reference would be useful to gain
access to.
But they say that this compound is used as an anhydrous SOURCE of H2O2 in reactions. They don't say that anhydrous
H2O2 can be obtained (and purified) as a compound from it! They are specifically referring to "leeching out" anhydrous
H2O2 in an anhydrous reaction environment where this "leeched out" H2O2 is supposedly used up immediately!
This is not bad. If those reactions have high yield and easy work up and few or no side reactions, then it is remarkable to say the least.
Not to mention that pure, anhydrous H2O2 is not a life insurance to handle as I heard.
unionised - 30-8-2015 at 04:23
You probably just decomposed some hydrogen peroxide.
That's why it got hot. Hydrogen peroxide isn't very stable and it is even less so when it is alkaline.
Pumukli - 2-9-2015 at 12:42
Regarding your original question, whether percarbonate is a mixture or a compound I found a few notes in
"Applications of hydrogen peroxide and derivatives" by C.W. Jones and J.H. Clark. (bookfi.org)
They state that the percarbonate is a mixture. On the other hand, the perborate (another cleaning agent) is a compound.
xfusion44 - 3-9-2015 at 23:34
Hi, I'm back again,
thank you both for your very useful answers! Yeah, I wasn't really thinking when I said that pure H2O2 could be obtained, as it would just decompose
I've tried this product for cleaning toilet, but it wasn't so effective as 31% HCl or 5% NaClO, I wonder if this is because of not pure enough product
that I've made or is it just not the right thing to use for this purpose, hmm...
Best regards!
Pumukli - 4-9-2015 at 00:24
It is used on textiles, to remove stubborn stains. In the toilet it may not be that effective.
AvBaeyer - 4-9-2015 at 18:24
Here are some reference materials that you will find useful and helpful regarding sodium percarbonate. Good reading.
AvB
Attachment: SodiumPercarbonate MSDS Soap Goods.pdf (44kB)
This file has been downloaded 359 times
Attachment: Percarbonate Analysis Bracken_JCE_2005_p762.pdf (91kB)
This file has been downloaded 258 times
Attachment: perborate-percarbonate. Tetrahedron Report 373.pdf (996kB)
This file has been downloaded 330 times
xfusion44 - 8-9-2015 at 14:12
@Pumukli
Thanks.
@AvBaeyer
Thank you for some useful material
ave369 - 8-9-2015 at 14:36
In my country, it is marketed as a chlorine-free bleach under the name "Persol". Here it can be bought cheaply.
And whether it's a mixture or compound... I think it's an adduct. Just like percarbamide (hydroperite).