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General Science => General Science => Topic started by: mpb on 25/08/2007 19:17:37

Title: Chemical Reaction
Post by: mpb on 25/08/2007 19:17:37
Its been a while since I've done chemical reactions and need the answer to this question.

If I have 100 pounds of Aluminum and mix it with the proper amount of NaO3 and water, how many cubic feet of hydrogen will be released and what will be the byproducts of the reaction?

Thanks  in advance to anyone that can help.

MPB
Title: Chemical Reaction
Post by: lightarrow on 25/08/2007 19:42:14
Quote from: mpb on 25/08/2007 19:17:37
Its been a while since I've done chemical reactions and need the answer to this question.

If I have 100 pounds of Aluminum and mix it with the proper amount of NaO3 and water, how many cubic feet of hydrogen will be released and what will be the byproducts of the reaction?

Thanks  in advance to anyone that can help.

MPB
I assume you mean NaOH.

Al + 3H2O --> Al(OH)3 + 3/2H2↑

So 27 grams of Al produces 3 moles of hydrogen. Knowing that at standard conditions (pressure = 1 atm, T = 25°C) 1 mole of perfect gas has a volume of 24.46 litres, you should now be able to compute the rest.
Title: Chemical Reaction
Post by: mpb on 25/08/2007 20:10:04
Can the reaction still take place with NaO3 (that is the information I received) and if so, how does it change the result?

Thanks for the fast response.

MPB
Title: Chemical Reaction
Post by: lightarrow on 26/08/2007 12:33:24
Quote from: mpb on 25/08/2007 20:10:04
Can the reaction still take place with NaO3 (that is the information I received) and if so, how does it change the result?

Thanks for the fast response.

MPB

What is NaO3? If such extremely exothic compound exists, it would be meaningless to use it to produce hydrogen. Furthermore, it wouldn't even be very efficient, because I suspect that compound would release atomic oxygen with water, which would react with atomic hydrogen generated by the reaction of Al with water.
Title: Chemical Reaction
Post by: Bored chemist on 26/08/2007 12:38:28

You need either an acid or a base to get the Al to react at any useful speed. Having said that, if you set 100Lbs of it dissolving at once you will get the mixture boiling violently unless you are careful to arrange proper cooling. I think you might want to do quite a bit more research before you start on this.
The by-product will be the Al salt of the acid or sodium aluminate depending on what you use with the water.
Title: Chemical Reaction
Post by: mpb on 26/08/2007 16:32:25
Thanks, let me go back and check the chemicals that were being used.  They were in small quantities but the plan is to perform this on a larger scale.

MPB