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A quick chemistry question.

post #1 of 6
1/1/11 at 12:50am
Thread Starter 

Is it possible to perform electrolysis on molten salt to extract sodium and chlorine from NaCl? If yes, then which side will Sodium form (+,-) ? And why do they need to heat NaCl to 800c (which is Chlorine's melting point) to obtain sodium?? Why wont sodium change phase into gas and dissapear?

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post #2 of 6
1/1/11 at 5:12pm

I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't be possible. Sodium will form at the pole where the electrons flow out of, because being positively charged it will be attracted by those negative electrons. Whether you call that pole + or - depends on conventions, but I think normally this is called the + side or cathode.

 

A salt only conducts electricity when it's liquid, therefore NaCl must be at least 801 C. At that temperature, pure Na will also be liquid. Na won't change to the gas phase because that only occurs at 881 C (according to wikipedia). Not that it would matter if it would turn into gas. It will of course not just 'disappear'. You could still catch that gas with an installation similar to a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofmann_voltameter.


Edited by Michgelsen - 1/1/11 at 5:14pm
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post #3 of 6
1/1/11 at 6:50pm

Yes, it's called a Downs cell

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post #4 of 6
1/1/11 at 6:55pm

Didn't know we have Scientist in headfi

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post #5 of 6
1/1/11 at 9:18pm
Thread Starter 

ah thanks. But I saw a person making sodium without using electrolysis by adding a bunch of chemical and heating nacl at 800c on youtube. How does that work? Heres the video.

 

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post #6 of 6
1/2/11 at 5:40am

That's not NaCl, it's NaOH. The explanation and reaction is given in the description under the video.

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