Irregular sodium chloride electrolysis

[Programer1]

Hi

 

I'm a new user here with some basic chemistry,

If u encounter some bad english well sorry thats all i've got

 

Here is what I did

 

I have a table salt that contains normal salt (NaCl), dextrose, potasium iodide, sodium bicarbonate, yellow prussiate of soda.

 

I've poured some of it in water (not sure of the quantity but it's 2:2)

 

I've taken four 1.5v batteries and connect them together with to pieces of iron.

 

Then i've put the two pieces in water (I was expecting to get NaOH cuz i didn't know that the salt conatains potasium and other stuff)

 

the water started bubbling it turned to yellow there is some color less gas comming out (i think it's chlorine)

 

than after few minutes( 1-3) the solution turned into black and it was still bubbling after a while i've taken the iron pieces of while it's still bubbling and it was like the solution ate my iron pieces somehow (only a few amount was ate by the solution )

 

well i just want to know waht went wrong and what are the compounds i've got some tips on doing my next electrolyses.

 

i'm a 10th grade student and just started chemistry I know about 1 third of it and we were learning about Sodium and its compunds we've taken NaOH i leanrned that u can make it by electrolysis of NaCl solution so that what happened.

 

Thanks god i've just known that chlorine is toxic

 

and sorry for the long topic

[YT2095]

you`ll have about 10 different compounds and elements all in play during this reaction!.

the black will be Iron Chlorides Hydroxides, there will be HCl Cl NaOH NaClO3 NaOCl to name a few!

 

I`m uncertain what your question is and how to answer, basicly everything that could happen happened, it`s not quite as Simple a reaction as it seems at face value.

 

you`ll not get get NaOH from this reaction (at least not for long) as it`ll INSTANTLY react with the Cl and HCl, it only works on paper when talking about Ions and only at certain stages.

 

for example there is point while shooting a gun that the trigger is pulled and the bullet is only half way down the barrel, this is True, but you can`t stop what it`s going to do next... same with NaOH in this reaction

[akcapr]

to fix your problem take either platinum electrodes, but i doubt u will get any, so try using graphite- rip open some pencils and take out the pencil lead (intact). Although the hydroxide will react with the newly made NaOH, some will be formed. I broke my adapter (which i recommend u use instad of batteries) because a bridge of hydroxide formed on the elctrode, and got big enough to bridge the inch or so gap and short circuit/break my 40 dollar adapter! so keep the elctrode as far away from each other as u can.

[akcapr]

thats also a good way to make fe203 if anyones interested

[raivo]

Your solution was colored because oxygen at positive electrode reacted with iron and made some iron oxide. This may be reacted with water and made hydroxide. Those are insoluble powders that settle very slowly onto bottom of flask.

 

To make NaOH this way you need not only insoluble eletrodes (like platinum or graphite) but also ion exchange membrane (one or more) that separates anode and cathode departments. Then you get chlorine gas at positive electrode and NaOH solution in negative compartment.

[Programer1]

Hi,

thanks all for reply

so your suggesting i use graphite electrodes (cuz it's insoluble) ok i'll try to and tell u what happens.

YT2095 can u tell me exactle what compunds were formed

u said Iron Chlorides Hydroxides, there will be HCl Cl NaOH NaClO3 NaOCl

so where did the potasium go what did it form.

i know that i didn't get the NaOH cuz i don't have any white stuff in my solution

And do i need to use pure NaCl to do the electrolysis to form NaOH

Thanks

[Programer1]

and can u tell me the chemical formula of Iron Chlorides Hydroxides

[YT2095]

YT2095 can u tell me exactle what compunds were formed

u said Iron Chlorides Hydroxides' date=' there will be HCl Cl NaOH NaClO3 NaOCl

so where did the potasium go what did it form.

i know that i didn't get the NaOH cuz i don't have any white stuff in my solution

And do i need to use pure NaCl to do the electrolysis to form NaOH

Thanks[/quote']

 

not all of them no, I`de be here all day!

 

the potassium would have displaced some of the sodium, so all the sodium salts would contain the equiv in potassium too, the iodine would have formed Iodates etc...

 

Fe(OH)2 and Fe(OH)3 are the hydroxides, and the chlorides are FeCl2 and FeCl3.

 

these will form as the free Chlorine given off will react with the Iron electrode.

[Programer1]

Wow! i've made a complex reaction with out knowing

does the soloution know contains HCl i heard it can burn skin if it contains

how can i get rid of it can i use any base compund acid + base = salt

and any ideas of other dangerous compounds or elements that's there

i didn't dry the soloution yet

[YT2095]

the HCl will have reacted by now, there`s non in there

 

as for dangerous, I`m a little curious about the "yellow prussiate of soda", as that sounds remarkably like a CN compound (Cyanide), I could be wrong, but HCN (hydrogen Cyanide) is also known as Pussic Acid, and so a Prussiate sounds like a salt of this.

[Programer1]

I forgot to tell u that i've used normal water (not distilled)

which contains HCO3, NO3, K, F, Cl, Ca, ....

will that make the reaction much more complex?

[H2SO4]

When i need graphite rods i usualy cant extract the graphite without alittle heat. What i do is take my blowtorch (bunsen burner will work) and burn apenis till the ashes fall of the graphite. Gives you a nice, unbroken piece of graphite.

[YT2095]

I forgot to tell u that i've used normal water (not distilled)

which contains HCO3' date=' NO3, K, F, Cl, Ca, ....

will that make the reaction much more complex?[/quote']

 

those will be insignificant trace quantities, nothing of any consequence

[Programer1]

Thanks for the tip H2SO4

I'll try burning two pencils.....

 

Is there any way to get distilled water out of normal water

[Programer1]

YT2095 are u saying that this water won't affect the electrolysis that much

[YT2095]

I am indeed

[AtomicMX]

Thanks for the tip H2SO4

I'll try burning two pencils..... <- better open up some carbon batteries

[YT2095]

OR go to a welding shop and buy some gauging rods, then peel the copper foil off them

[AtomicMX]

or go to the beach and get the carbon from the sand grain by grain :P ....

[ed84c]

why would sand have carbom in it?

[jdurg]

What i do is take my blowtorch (bunsen burner will work) and burn apenis till the ashes fall[/b'] of the graphite.

 

LMFAO! Okay, I think you should really edit the spelling in that post because when you quickly read through that, it just doesn't sound right.

[YT2095]

we allow Feminists on SFN too

[budullewraagh]

ahhhhhhhh! i read that and cringed, then looked down

[akcapr]

 

Is there any way to get distilled water out of normal water

 

boil some normal water and "distill it" by condensing the vapor using something cold- try boiling water i na flask leading the vapors into another in ice water.

[YT2095]

or go to a garage/petrol station and buy a bottle of the battery Topup water, it`s distilled and very cheap