Reactions

[newtec]

I predict products of the reaction between iron and sodium chloride to be iron chloride and sodium ( FeCl + Na ). Is my thinking correct?

[hypervalent_iodine]

Definitely not, for a few reasons.

 

1. FeCl isn't a thing. Iron has oxidation states of (typically) +2 and +3 and the chloride ion has a -1 charge. To balance the two charges, you have to have either 2 or 3 chloride ions bound to the iron to give either ferric (Fe³⁺; FeCl₃) or ferrous (Fe²⁺; FeCl₂) chloride.

 

2. No way will table salt and iron metal generate sodium metal. If it did, your solution would very quickly catch fire.

 

Pretty much the only thing that will happen is the iron will become rusty from being in an aqueous solution.

[CaptainPanic]

If you put table salt (which is NaCl) in an iron salt dispenser, nothing will happen. If NaCl were that reactive, then your normal table salt that you buy in the supermarket would have enormous warning stickers.

[newtec]

So, in the absence of water there is no reaction. However, with water in the air would the iron placed in the dry salt begin to rust because air is all around it?

 

Definitely not, for a few reasons.

 

1. FeCl isn't a thing. Iron has oxidation states of (typically) +2 and +3 and the chloride ion has a -1 charge. To balance the two charges, you have to have either 2 or 3 chloride ions bound to the iron to give either ferric (Fe³⁺; FeCl₃) or ferrous (Fe²⁺; FeCl₂) chloride.

 

2. No way will table salt and iron metal generate sodium metal. If it did, your solution would very quickly catch fire.

 

Pretty much the only thing that will happen is the iron will become rusty from being in an aqueous solution.

[CaptainPanic]

So, in the absence of water there is no reaction. However, with water in the air would the iron placed in the dry salt begin to rust because air is all around it?

Yes, but the reaction is between oxygen and iron, in the presence of water or moisture from the air. Also, rust is ironoxide (either FeO or Fe₂O₃ or a mix of those two).