Chemical Forums
Specialty Chemistry Forums => Citizen Chemist => Topic started by: Catsceo on August 09, 2010, 11:47:25 PM
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Well hello everyone, I was wondering if reacting potassium hydroxide with boric acid would yield K3BO3 or KBO2? Wolfram Alpha seems to say KBO2 (K+ O-B=O-). Any ideas guys?
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I don't know much about H3BO3. It seems to be a special case. Perhaps not all H+ are released when dissolved in water.
In H3BO3, the boron is connected to 3 OH groups which means it has a +3 charge.
In KBO2, the B also has a +3 charge so the question is, what would be the reaction?
KOH + H3BO3 = KBO2 + H20 + H20?
KBO2 is the metaborate.
K3BO3 is potassium orthoborate.
There is also K2B2O7 is the borate.
It is a strange anion.
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I don't know much about H3BO3. It seems to be a special case. Perhaps not all H+ are released when dissolved in water.
In H3BO3, the boron is connected to 3 OH groups which means it has a +3 charge.
In KBO2, the B also has a +3 charge so the question is, what would be the reaction?
KOH + H3BO3 = KBO2 + H20 + H20?
KBO2 is the metaborate.
K3BO3 is potassium orthoborate.
There is also K2B2O7 is the borate.
It is a strange anion.
Yeah, I guess I should be asking what its molecular formula will be. The salt I produced is white and 'fluffy', and breaks up into small grains easily.
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I believe I understand. The chemistry is similar to Aluminum for example in the case of
KOH + Al(OH)3 = KAlO2 + 2H20
I'm sure everyone has seen NaOH added to Al. In which case NaOH attacks the Al2O3 and also the Al itself.
NaOH + Al(OH)3 = NaAlO2 + 2H20
2NaOH + 2Al + 2H2O = 2NaAlO2 + 3H2
so theoretically, boric acid is boron hydroxide and the reaction is
KOH + B(OH)3 = KBO2 + 2H20
(but I'm an amateur and there is no guarantee that the above is correct)
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H3BO3 is not a traditional acid, in that it does not deprotonate to produce H+. In aqueous solutions, H3BO3 attracts a water molecule, bonds to its oxygen and produces H3O+ via deprotonation of the newly bonded water molecule. The acid in this case is actually HB(OH)4. In anhydrous conditions it acts as an electron acceptor, not necessarily an H+ donor. Due to its character as a lewis acid, I would expect B(OH)3 to pick up the OH- from KOH, forming K+ B(OH)4- as a salt. The presence of water as a solvent or otherwise may affect the products of the reaction.
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H3BO3 is not a traditional acid, in that it does not deprotonate to produce H+. In aqueous solutions, H3BO3 attracts a water molecule, bonds to its oxygen and produces H3O+ via deprotonation of the newly bonded water molecule. The acid in this case is actually HB(OH)4. In anhydrous conditions it acts as an electron acceptor, not necessarily an H+ donor. Due to its character as a lewis acid, I would expect B(OH)3 to pick up the OH- from KOH, forming K+ B(OH)4- as a salt. The presence of water as a solvent or otherwise may affect the products of the reaction.
This is correct. I did some heating on the compound that was formed and it seemed to decompose, releasing water. :)