Chemical Forums
Specialty Chemistry Forums => Citizen Chemist => Topic started by: xXCuteGoatXx on July 24, 2017, 06:35:37 PM
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Hi!
If I wanted to create potassium chlorate (KClO3) by doing electrolysis of salt containing 70% KCl and 30% NaCl, would the sodium chloride in any way prevent the reaction to form chlorates?
Cathode:
2H2O + 2e- -> H2 + 2OH-
Anode:
2OH- + Cl- -> ClO- + 2e-
Overall:
H2O + KCl -> KClO + H2
Chlorine side reaction (overall which will increase pH):
2KCl + 2H2O -> 2KOH + H2 + Cl2
Reaction when the solution reaches high pH:
12ClO- + 12OH- -> 3KClO +18H2 + 3O2
THE OVERALL REACTION:
18H2O + 4KCl -> 4KClO3 + 18H2 + 3O2
Now, I'm wondering if the sodium from NaCl will prevent this reaction by reacting with OH- to form sodium hydroxide? If this happens, will there be significantly less KClO3 created or none at all? If so, why would that be?