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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Citizen Chemist => Topic started by: FlaskBreaker on November 12, 2017, 12:28:30 PM

Title: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: FlaskBreaker on November 12, 2017, 12:28:30 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/6DVEriu.jpg)

Today I have setup a NaOH generator. The water bottle on the left contains a saturated solution of sea salt. The one on the right simply contains water. The salt containing bottle has two holes for wires on the sides, and one big hole in the cap for a tube. The tube will run to the other bottle, where any chlorine that is generated will turn into HCl by reacting with the water. The lighter gases that are generated such as hydrogen and oxygen will be vented out of the apparatus by two small holes punched into the cap of the bottle labled "Hydrochloric Acid gen.".

The equation for this entire expirment is:

NaCl + H2O  :rarrow: Cl2 + H2 + O2 + NaOH

The electric current will split apart the salt and water. This will form hydrogen, oxygen, and chlorine gases. Sodium metal will also start to deposit at the cathode, which will almost immediately react with the water to create sodium hydroxide. If this works exactly how I want it to, I could continue using this for creating NaOH for my lab. After all, sodium chloride is much cheaper than sodium hydroxide.
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: Borek on November 12, 2017, 12:40:21 PM
any chlorine that is generated will turn into HCl by reacting with the water

Chlorine doesn't react with water producing hydrochloric acid.
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: FlaskBreaker on November 12, 2017, 12:55:01 PM
any chlorine that is generated will turn into HCl by reacting with the water

Chlorine doesn't react with water producing hydrochloric acid.

I've seen many sodium hydroxide generators use water to neutralize chlorine. If it doesn't make HCl, what does it make?
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: billnotgatez on November 12, 2017, 05:47:59 PM
Doing GOOGLE I found this entry

https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Inorganic_Chemistry/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Block/2_p-Block_Elements/Group_17%3A_The_Halogens/Z%3D017_Chemistry_of_Chlorine_(Z%3D17) (https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Inorganic_Chemistry/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Block/2_p-Block_Elements/Group_17%3A_The_Halogens/Z%3D017_Chemistry_of_Chlorine_(Z%3D17))
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: Arkcon on November 12, 2017, 06:38:11 PM
Quote
he water bottle on the left contains a saturated solution of sea salt. The one on the right simply contains water.
I've been hearing this often on these boards.  How are people getting current through plain water, and why do they need to?

Also, you don't mention the connection between the two bottles to complete the circuit.
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: FlaskBreaker on November 12, 2017, 10:21:21 PM
Quote
he water bottle on the left contains a saturated solution of sea salt. The one on the right simply contains water.
I've been hearing this often on these boards.  How are people getting current through plain water, and why do they need to?

Also, you don't mention the connection between the two bottles to complete the circuit.

I am simply using some 5mm plastic fish tank tubing I found at my local Walmart.
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: billnotgatez on November 13, 2017, 01:46:36 AM
...
The equation for this entire expirment is:

NaCl + H2O  :rarrow: Cl2 + H2 + O2 + NaOH
...

Your equation is not balanced.

Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: billnotgatez on November 13, 2017, 02:15:16 AM
Would this be a schematic of what you propose to do at the beginning?

Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: Arkcon on November 13, 2017, 06:47:52 AM
And if it is, why not write out the half reactions for each cell?
Title: Re: My sodium hydroxide generator!
Post by: FlaskBreaker on November 13, 2017, 11:39:14 AM
I forgot to balance my equation, here is the balanced version: 2 NaCl + 2 H2O  :rarrow: Cl2 + H2 + 2 NaOH.

Also, I intend to put both wires in the left bottle.