How Is Sodium Carbonate Synthesized and Applied in Daily Life?
What is Sodium Carbonate?
It is a crystalline compound with the formula Na2CO3. It's popularly referred to as sodium carbonate and also referred to as sodium carbonate and soda crystals. Sodium carbonate is extracted from trona. It's the foremost important component of all essential heavy metals. They're white, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water. It is produced during a tremendous amount from common salt and limestone with the help of the Solvay process. In the past, it had been extracted from the ashes of plants growing in sodium-rich soils and so it was known as soda-ash. It is often found in several structures.
Synthesis of Washing Soda, Na2CO3
Sodium carbonate is formed on an industrial scale by the Solvay process. It also can be manufactured by various other processes, just like the Leblanc process, Electrolytic method, Hou's process, etc. It also can be mined from several other areas.
Solvay process, also referred to as the ammonia-rich process, is the most economical process than other processes. The reactants involved during this process are ammonia, brine solution, and limestone. They're affordable and readily available. During this process, salt may be a necessary by-product obtained.
The reactions are:
2NH3 + H2O + CO2 → (NH4)2CO3
(NH4)2CO3 + H2O + CO2 → 2NH4HCO3
To the above product obtained, common salt is added, which ends up within the precipitation of sodium bicarbonate, which is least soluble and is filtered off later.
NH4HCO3 + NaCl → NH4Cl + NaHCO3
Sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 is then heated to supply bicarbonate of soda Na2CO3, and CO2 gas is evolved, which may be reused again.
2 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O
Applications of Washing Soda - Na2CO3
Some of them include:
It is employed within the domestic purposes for the manufacture of detergents, soaps, and paper.
It is often used as a softener.
Also utilized in obtaining soluble glass, borax, sodium orthophosphate, and lots of other sodium compounds.
Uses of Washing Soda - Na2CO3
It is used as:
A pH modifier
A foaming agent in toothpaste
A wetter within the brick industry
A laboratory reagent to standardize acids.
An analytical reagent.
Properties of Washing Soda
Formula: Na2CO3
Molar mass: 105.9888 g/mol
Density: 2.54 g/cm3 at 25 °C
Melting point: 851 °C
Chemical Properties of Washing Soda
1. Anhydrous washing soda is stable towards heat.
2. washing soda is mildly alkaline within the aqueous state thanks to hydrolysis, which releases OH–(aq) ions.
Na2CO3(s) + 2H2O(l) à H2CO3(aq) + 2Na+(aq) + 2OH–(aq)
3. It reacts with CO2 from the air forming sodium bicarbonate.
Na2CO3(aq) + H2O + CO2(g) à 2NaHCO3(aq)
4. It reacts with weak vegetable acids liberating CO2.
Na2CO3(aq) + 2H+(aq) à 2 Na+(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)
Na2CO3 + 2HCl à 2 NaCl+ H2O + CO2
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Sodium Bicarbonate Formula
It is a white-coloured solid compound with the formula NaHCO3. It's also referred to as bicarbonate of soda or bicarbonate of soda. It's crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It is found dissolved in many mineral springs and is a component of natron minerals.
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is an acid salt, and washing soda (Na2CO3) is the normal salt of acid (H2CO3).
Carbonic acid may be an acid because it has two replaceable hydrogen atoms in its molecule. When one hydrogen is replaced by reacting it with a limited amount (1 mol) of caustic soda, we get the bicarbonate.
NaOH + H2CO3 à NaHCO3 + H2O
Sodium bicarbonate contains one hydrogen because the dibasic parent acid isn't fully neutralized. Such a sort of salt is named an acid salt. It'll be completely neutralized when it reacts with more caustic soda to make the carbonate, the traditional salt.
NaHCO3 + NaOH à Na2CO3 + H2O
When the two above equations are combined, we get the general equation for the entire neutralization of an acid by the alkali to make the traditional salt.
H2CO3 + 2 NaOH à Na2CO3 + 2 H2O
So, we will say that the bicarbonate may be a kind of intermediate salt formed when an alkali partly neutralizes acid (a dibasic acid).
Similarly, sodium bisulfate, NaHSO4, is the acid salt, and sodium sulfate, Na2SO4, the traditional salt of vitriol and caustic soda.
Solved Problems
1. What's Anhydrous Sodium Carbonate?
Hydrated washing soda has the formula Na2CO3.nH20. 0n strong heating, hydrated washing soda decomposes completely into the water, and anhydrous washing soda, Na2CO3
FAQs on Sodium Carbonate (Na₂CO₃): Complete Guide
1. What is Sodium Carbonate and what is its chemical formula?
Sodium Carbonate is an inorganic chemical compound, specifically the sodium salt of carbonic acid. Its chemical formula is Na₂CO₃. It is widely known by common names such as washing soda or soda ash. In its pure, anhydrous (water-free) state, it is a white crystalline powder.
2. What are the common uses of Sodium Carbonate in daily life and industry?
Sodium Carbonate is a versatile chemical with a wide range of important applications:
- Household Cleaning: It is a key ingredient in many laundry detergents and cleaning powders because it acts as a water softener and helps remove grease and stains.
- Glass Manufacturing: It is essential in making glass, where it acts as a flux to lower the melting point of silica sand.
- Chemical Industry: It serves as a raw material for producing other important chemicals, including sodium bicarbonate, sodium silicate, and borax.
- Water Treatment: It is used to soften both temporary and permanent hard water by precipitating calcium and magnesium ions.
- Pulp and Paper Industry: It is used in the chemical pulping of wood to separate lignin from cellulose fibres.
3. How is washing soda (hydrated sodium carbonate) different from baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)?
While their names are similar, washing soda and baking soda are distinct chemical compounds with different properties and uses.
- Chemical Formula: Washing soda is Sodium Carbonate (Na₂CO₃), which often exists in a hydrated form (Na₂CO₃·10H₂O). Baking soda is Sodium Bicarbonate, also known as Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (NaHCO₃).
- Alkalinity: Washing soda is a much stronger alkali than baking soda. This makes it a powerful cleaning agent but also caustic and unsafe for consumption.
- Primary Use: The main use for washing soda is in cleaning and laundry. Baking soda is primarily used in baking as a leavening agent and sometimes as a gentle abrasive or antacid.
4. Why is a solution of Sodium Carbonate alkaline in nature?
A solution of Sodium Carbonate in water is alkaline due to a process called salt hydrolysis. Na₂CO₃ is a salt formed from a strong base (Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH) and a weak acid (Carbonic Acid, H₂CO₃). When dissolved in water, the carbonate ion (CO₃²⁻) from the salt reacts with water to produce hydroxide ions (OH⁻). This increase in the concentration of hydroxide ions makes the solution basic, or alkaline, raising its pH above 7.
5. How is a standard solution of Sodium Carbonate prepared in a laboratory?
Preparing a standard solution of Sodium Carbonate involves the following precise steps:
- Calculate Required Mass: First, calculate the exact mass of anhydrous Na₂CO₃ needed for the desired volume and molarity (concentration) of the solution.
- Weigh Accurately: Use a digital weighing balance to measure the calculated mass of pure, dry Sodium Carbonate powder onto a watch glass.
- Dissolve the Solid: Carefully transfer the powder into a clean beaker and dissolve it in a small volume of distilled water, stirring until all the solid is dissolved.
- Transfer to Volumetric Flask: Using a funnel, pour the solution into a volumetric flask of the appropriate size (e.g., 250 mL). Rinse the beaker with a little distilled water and add the rinsing to the flask to ensure all the solute is transferred.
- Dilute to the Mark: Add distilled water to the flask until the bottom of the meniscus reaches the calibration line on the neck of the flask.
- Homogenise: Stopper the flask and invert it multiple times to ensure the solution is thoroughly mixed and has a uniform concentration.
6. What is efflorescence, and why does washing soda exhibit this property?
Efflorescence is the property of a hydrated crystalline solid to lose its water of crystallisation when exposed to the atmosphere, often crumbling into a fine powder. Washing soda (Na₂CO₃·10H₂O) exhibits efflorescence because the water vapour pressure within its crystal structure is higher than the partial pressure of water vapour in the surrounding air. This pressure difference causes the water molecules to escape from the crystal lattice, leaving behind anhydrous Sodium Carbonate (Na₂CO₃).
7. Can Sodium Carbonate be used to soften hard water? If so, how does it work?
Yes, Sodium Carbonate is highly effective at softening both temporary and permanent hard water. Hardness in water is caused by the presence of dissolved calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions. When Sodium Carbonate is added to hard water, it reacts with these ions to form insoluble precipitates of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃). These solid precipitates can be easily filtered out, effectively removing the hardness-causing ions from the water.
- Ca²⁺(aq) + Na₂CO₃(aq) → CaCO₃(s) + 2Na⁺(aq)
- Mg²⁺(aq) + Na₂CO₃(aq) → MgCO₃(s) + 2Na⁺(aq)
8. What happens when Sodium Carbonate is heated strongly? Does it decompose like calcium carbonate?
Unlike many other metal carbonates like calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), Sodium Carbonate (Na₂CO₃) is very stable to heat. It does not decompose when heated, even at very high temperatures. Instead, it melts at a high temperature of 851 °C. This high thermal stability is a characteristic property of the carbonates of highly reactive alkali metals (with the exception of lithium carbonate).
9. Why doesn't Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) react with a strong base like Sodium Hydroxide (caustic soda)?
Sodium Carbonate (Na₂CO₃) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) do not react with each other because they are both alkaline substances. A chemical reaction, such as neutralisation, typically occurs between substances with opposing chemical properties, like an acid and a base. Since Sodium Hydroxide is a strong base and an aqueous solution of Sodium Carbonate is also basic (due to hydrolysis), there is no chemical potential for a reaction to occur between them.
