Alum Synthesis

Alum Synthesis The Chemical mathematical operation of Recycling Aluminum Introduction By recycling potash aluminium cans, the cost and energy savings are dramatic whollyy more resourceful and effectual than producing atomic number 13 from what it is natur altogethery found in, bauxite ore. The process of recycling aluminum to reveal jet aluminum sulfate, a common alum, will be do through a serious of chemical reactions. Through this reaction, percent impart will be determined. Materials and Methods The mass of a 250 mL beaker is measured, and . 9 to 1. 2 grams of aluminum can pieces are added to the beaker. The mass of the beaker and aluminum pieces is recorded.These two good deal are thus used to determine the initial mass of aluminum beingness reacted in this experiment. 50 mL of 1. 4 M KOH is then added to the beaker and placed upon a springy plate under a green goddess hood to fumigate any escaping gases during the reaction, which should take no longer than 30 minut es. The heat from the hot plate speeds the reaction, and the reaction mixture must be kept no lower than 25 mL by adding distilled water. An aspirator is assembled by using a suction flaskful, clamp, ring stand, rubber tubing, funnel, and slabber news report to filter the reaction mixture once the number unmatched reaction is complete. gas Article Free-Radical BrominationThe filter paper is then wetted, the vacuum source is sour on, and the mixture is poured through the filter, using 5 mL of distilled water to scrub the beaker. The filter will catch all the dark filtrate from the aluminum can pieces, and the suction flask will contain a clear (transparent) effect. The etymon is then transferred to a cleared 250 mL beaker, and the suction flask is rinsed with 10 mL distilled water to insure all the remaining solution is transferred to the clean beaker. The beaker is placed in an ice bathe to cool the solution, fill the beaker three fourths full with ice and cold water. 0 mL of 6. 0 M sulfuric acid is measured and slowly added to the mixture, using a divine guidance rod to mix. Heat the mixture on a hot plate if any solids begin to develop in the mixture. Using a 1 L plastic beaker, prepare a nonher ice bath and place the beaker containing the reaction mixture in the ice bath. Once in the ice bath, the alum crystals skeletal frameing in the mixture will begin to precipitate. To serving the process of crystal formation, use the stir rod to scrape the sides of the beaker and form an alum seed crystal. Reassemble a clean vacuum filter, and filter the crystals onto the filter paper.Get as much of the precipitated crystals out of the beaker and then rinse the beaker in two ways with 10 mL of 50% ethanol solution to transfer all the crystals to the beaker. Once the alum crystals lay down dried, measure the mass of a clean 250 mL beaker and then measure the mass of the beaker containing the alum crystals. Results and Discussion The first reaction to b egin the alum deductive reasoning process is when aluminum and super acid hydroxide are combined and water and heat are added during the reaction. The depart is an ion called aluminate with an excess of enthalpy gas.This type of reaction is a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction, where the aluminum metal is oxidized to aluminum with an oxidation number of +3 and the hydrogen in green hydroxide or in water is trim back from an oxidation number of +1 to zero in hydrogen gas. The equilibrise chemical equation for this reaction is 2Als+ 2KOHaq+ 6H2Oliq2KAlOH4aq+ 3 H2g During this reaction, the colorless mixture potassium hydroxide and aluminum pieces turned a dark, ashy gray as heat was applied and the aluminum can pieces dissolved. The heat sped the reaction, and within 30 minutes all the aluminum pieces were dissolved, leaving behind aluminate.In the second reaction, the filtered aluminate solution is mixed with sulfuric acid once the solution has cooled. after stirring for sev eral minutes, crystals began to form. The crystalizing liquid started thickening and appeared to be white. The product of this reaction is aluminum hydroxide, potassium sulfate, and water. The fully balanced chemical equation is 2 KAl(OH)4(aq) + H2SO4(aq) 2Al(OH)3(s) + 2 H2O(liq) + K2SO4(aq) This equation represents a metathesis (precipitation) reaction where all the elements and groups recombine and a precipitate, aluminum hydroxide, is formed.As more sulfuric was added, the precipitate began to dissolve, thus causing the trey reaction. The solution contains aluminum, potassium, and sulfate ions now. The balanced chemical equation is 2 Al(OH)3(s) + 3 H2SO4(aq) Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 6 H2O(liq) This type of reaction is a metathesis (acid-base) reaction where, once again, the elements and groups recombine themselves. The product of this reaction is aluminum sulfate and water. The solution proceed to cool and crystals began to form. The last reaction resulted in a hydrated potassium alumin um sulfate, and crystals of this compound formed slowly. Seed crystals developed and more alum deposited causing the crystals to expand. The balanced chemical reaction is Al2(SO4)3(aq) + K2SO4(aq) + 24 H2O(liq) 2 KAl(SO4)212 H2O(s) This would be considered a combination reaction because the three reactants combined to form one product, hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate. The overall balanced chemical reaction for this experiment is 2Al(s)+2KOHaq+4H2SO4(aq)+22H2O(liq) 2 KAl(SO4)212H2O(s) + 3 H2(g) At the start of the experiment, 1. 01 grams of aluminum can pieces were used. After forgoing several reactions, 4. 19 grams of alum were recovered.Theoretically, 17. 76 grams of alum should stick out been recovered. This gives a percent yield of 24. 0%. Human phantasm was unimpeachably the main factor as to wherefore the percent yield is not anywhere close to 100%. My lab partner and I did have a misunderstanding with one of the steps in the instructions alternatively of placing the be aker in an ice bath during reaction three, we thought the directions said to effect ice directly into the reaction mixture. This may have caused some error in the cooling process of the mixture, and may have not enabled all the crystals to form properly.We may have also not waited long adequate for all the crystals to form. Also, some of the crystals may have gotten lost while being transferred from the beaker, to the aspirator, and then to another beaker to be measured. These factors are reasonable as to why the actual yield of alum that resulted in the experiment were not spotless with the theoretical yield of alum. Conclusion Through a series of reactions, it is understand that aluminum can be chemically reacted to result in the synthesis of alum. The success of the experiment proves the reasoning of the process of recycling aluminum.