What's the best and easiest way to make NaOH?

[Kendra]

What's the best and easiest way to make NaOH? If there is more than one, list all of them, please.

 

Thank you already for yoru help.

 

P.S: I'm aware of the dangers and necessary precautions when handling NaOH.

[Caleb]

What's the best and easiest way to make NaOH? If there is more than one, list all of them, please.

 

Thank you already for yoru help.

 

P.S: I'm aware of the dangers and necessary precautions when handling NaOH.

 

I know that NaOH is produced commertially by putting Na2O into water, by the following equation:

 

Na2O (s) + H2O (l) => 2NaOH

 

Oxides of metals are called basic anhydrides because many of them react with water to form bases. Metal oxides that are soluble in water react to produce the corrisponding hydroxides. So you can do this with most other metals, espectally the alkali and alkaline earth metals.

I know there is a way to create acids by using other acids and the desired acids corrisponding salt.

 

HNO3 + NaCl => NaNO3 + HCl

 

I do not know if the same principle applie to bases too. But I would think it would go something like this:

 

BaOH + NaCl => NaOH + BaCl

 

I don't know for sure, but this is how I would think it would happen. I hope this helps.

[John Cuthber]

"I know that NaOH is produced commertially by putting Na2O into water, by the following equation:

 

Na2O (s) + H2O (l) => 2NaOH"

 

 

I'm willing to bet that it isn't.

 

The rest of the post is largely rubbish too.

[Caleb]

"I know that NaOH is produced commertially by putting Na2O into water, by the following equation:

 

Na2O (s) + H2O (l) => 2NaOH"

 

 

I'm willing to bet that it isn't.

 

The rest of the post is largely rubbish too.

 

1. Is the equation not true? How is NaOH produced commertially then? I am willing to learn.

 

2. "General Chemistry by Whitten and Gailey" Chapter 11-8 states:

Volatile Acids. Small quantities of the hydrogen halides (their solutions are called hydrogalic acids) are usually prepared by dropping concentrated non-volatile acids onto the appropriate salts. The reactions of cooncentrated (98%) sulfuric acid with solid sodium fluoride and sodium chloride evolve heat and produce gaseous hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride, as the following equations show:

 

H2SO4 (l) + NaF (s) => NaHSO4 (s) + HF (g)

 

H2SO4 (l) + NaCl (s) => NaHSO4 (s) + HCl (g)

 

 

Like I said before, I do not know for sure if this can be done with bases or not. But it is not rubbish that they can do that with acids and salts. And it was my mistake in the first post, I meant sulfuric acid and not nitric acid.

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I have been studying about NaOH. It turns out that you were right about Na2O not being produced commertailly. However, the equation still turns out. It is produced commertially by electrolisis of NaCl in an aqeous solution:

 

2NaCl + 2H2O => 2NaOH + H2 + Cl2

[mississippichem]

NaOH is produced industrially by the chloralkali process, that is, elctrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride. Chlorine gas is also produced at the anode, along with H2 at the cathode. The Hydrolysis of sodium peroxide or sodium metal is far too exothermic and sponataneous for industrial scale production.

[Guest Nerddoc]

Electrolysis of NaCl comes to mind...research before you do it.

[John Cuthber]

Nitric acid reacts with hydrochloric so the bit about HNO3 + NaCl is wrong.

 

"BaOH + NaCl => NaOH + BaCl"

is wrong because you have the wrong formula for barium hydroxide.

Also, you have cited a reference to volatile acids. You can get a similar effect with volatile bases, but NaOH isn't normally considered volatile as it boils at nearly 1400C.

 

Also at least some metal oxides react with water to form acids so the bit about "Oxides of metals are called basic anhydrides because many of them react with water to form bases." is, at best an inaccurate generalisation.

[Newbies_Kid]

Can use hydrogen peroxide + sea water (NaCl)?

[John Cuthber]

No, not really.

[Physicsfan]

how about a reaction of aqueous solution of MgO(insoluble) with Na2CO3(soluble)?

this would give MgCO3(insoluble) and Na2O.

Na2O reacts with water to give NaOH.

[mississippichem]

how about a reaction of aqueous solution of MgO(insoluble) with Na2CO3(soluble)?

this would give MgCO3(insoluble) and Na2O.

Na2O reacts with water to give NaOH.

 

I think this reaction would only occour to the extent that MgO was soluble (which it is not very). Also, the oxide of sodium is a peroxide (Na2O2). A simple sodium oxide doesn't exist that I'm aware of.

[Physicsfan]

Also, the oxide of sodium is a peroxide (Na2O2).

 

How?

[mississippichem]

Sodium (0) is strongly reducing. Think of two sodium atoms each donating one electron to molecule of O2. You could also think of it as the sodium salt of the conjugate base of H202 (hydrogen peroxide). I must correct my last post, Na2O does exist. But the major product of burning sodium metal in air is the peroxide not the oxide, sorry. Sodium peroxide owes it's yellow tint to the presence of a small amount of Sodium oxide impurity.

 

1. Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, A. (1984), Chemistry of the Elements, Oxford: Pergamon, p. 98

 

2. Housecroft, Catherine E.; Sharpe, Alan G. (2008), Inorganic Chemistry, 3rd Edition, Pearson: Prentice Hall, p.293

[John Cuthber]

how about a reaction of aqueous solution of MgO(insoluble) with Na2CO3(soluble)?

this would give MgCO3(insoluble) and Na2O.

Na2O reacts with water to give NaOH.

 

They used to make NaOH from Ca(OH)2 and Na2CO3. I guess Mg(OH)2 would work too

[UC]

Clearly alchemy is the answer.

 

Into a large earthenware vessel, place a synthetic plastic card, known as a credit card. Take care in writing down the numbers engraved upon it.

 

Upon the device known as a computer, find a website that sells the caustic that you seek- perhaps for making soap or bio-diesel.

 

Enter unto the named boxes the numbers of the plastic card, checking carefully. If thou shalt fail in this step, the transformation shall not be completed. Enter also your name and address as required and press upon the button marked "order."

 

Allow the card to remain in the earthenware vessel for 3-10 days until the messenger of the winds delivers unto you a brown vessel containing the caustic that you desired.

[Physicsfan]

They used to make NaOH from Ca(OH)2 and Na2CO3. I guess Mg(OH)2 would work too

 

Calcium hydroxide is insoluble. Calcium carbonate is insoluble too.

reaction of the above will result in the formation of a coating of calcium carbonate on calcium hydroxide and further reaction will come to a stop.

 

the same thing applies to my solution too.

[John Cuthber]

Calcium hydroxide is insoluble. Calcium carbonate is insoluble too.

reaction of the above will result in the formation of a coating of calcium carbonate on calcium hydroxide and further reaction will come to a stop.

 

the same thing applies to my solution too.

 

Calcium hydroxide does dissolve in water- to the extent of a couple of grams per litre.

That's not much, but you can keep on playing the game, adding more Ca(OH)2, letting it dissolve, adding more Na2CO3 to ppt CaCO3

and so on until you have a reasonable NaOH concentration.

 

Saying it won't work is a bit silly, since, as I said, that's how they used to make the stuff.

 

Magnesium hydroxide is about 20 times less soluble so it would be seriously slow going, but you could do it.

[Physicsfan]

Calcium hydroxide does dissolve in water- to the extent of a couple of grams per litre.

That's not much, but you can keep on playing the game, adding more Ca(OH)2, letting it dissolve, adding more Na2CO3 to ppt CaCO3

and so on until you have a reasonable NaOH concentration.

 

Saying it won't work is a bit silly, since, as I said, that's how they used to make the stuff.

 

Magnesium hydroxide is about 20 times less soluble so it would be seriously slow going, but you could do it.

 

Theres something else too NaOH would react again with CaCO3 forming Na2CO3 and Ca(OH)2, because sodium hydroxide is the stronger among the two.right?

[John Cuthber]

Can you understand that if something works then it works?

 

There's no point coming up with theoretical objections to this idea; it works. It has worked commercially before.