vmelkon
National Hazard
Posts: 669
Registered: 25-11-2011
Location: Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: autoerotic asphyxiation
|
|
If you heat sodium and NaOH until melt
If you heat sodium and NaOH until they melt, does the sodium dissolve into the NaOH?
I ask because there is the problem of producing sodium by electrolyzing NaOH. Careful temperature control is required otherwise it is said that you
just end up with a metal fog in NaOH.
I want to do electrolysis of a small amount of NaOH.
I also want to try a small amount of CaCl2+NaCl.
|
|
|
Zyklon-A
International Hazard
Posts: 1547
Registered: 26-11-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: Fluorine radical
|
|
Yes, if you heat it to much, sodium will dissolve in sodium hydroxide. At NaOH's melting point (318°C) sodium will not dissolve, but with more
heating, (>330°C) it does dissolve.
|
|
|
BromicAcid
International Hazard
Posts: 3247
Registered: 13-7-2003
Location: Wisconsin
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rock n' Roll
|
|
The sodium at that point is not dissolving in the sodium hydroxide, but reacting with the sodium hydroxide. That is why there is a temperature range
instead of just trying to keep your NaOH molten. Read up on the Castner Cell, there is plenty of info out there. One of the reasons the current
efficiency is low is due to your sodium reacting back with your electrolyte to give sodium oxide and hydrogen gas. Too high of a temperature and you
basically get nothing.
[Edited on 2/15/2014 by BromicAcid]
|
|
|
vmelkon
National Hazard
Posts: 669
Registered: 25-11-2011
Location: Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: autoerotic asphyxiation
|
|
Were you talking about the case of electrolysis or the case of adding sodium to molten NaOH?
|
|
|
blogfast25
International Hazard
Posts: 10562
Registered: 3-2-2008
Location: Neverland
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
It makes no difference. In the case of electrolysis its the sodium that's been generated that reacts with the electrolyte. Sodium is sodium though.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
