Testing the Suitability of Using Alum Synthesis as a Method of Recycling Aluminum Introduction: According to The Aluminum Association, “Americans throw away nearly $1 billion worth of aluminum cans every year” (The Aluminum Association,2014). With the increasing number of aluminum cans being disposed of in landfills annually, it is important to investigate ways to cut back on waste and how these products can be recycled in the most efficient way possible. The purpose of the lab was to further understand the chemical processes that occur during the recycling of aluminum, ultimately determining the efficiency of this method. In order to investigate the various reactions present within alum synthesis, aluminum can pieces and potassium hydroxide were used …show more content…
The acid base reaction was identified knowing compounds containing OH are bases and compounds with H+ are considered acids. The reactions were also identified as metathesis because “bimolecular reaction involve only two reactants” ( During the reactions, it was observed when potassium aluminum hydroxide was mixed with sulfuric acid, the transparency of the mixture was altered from clear to opaque and the consistency of the mixture was described as a slushy-like. The mixture had to be heated on a hot plate in order to prevent the formation of solid material taking place prematurely while the sulfuric acid was still being added. After being heated, the consistency of the mixture was liquefied than before without the almost solid material present. The final reaction took place when alum crystals were formed when the products of the two previous reactions reacted with each other. The potassium sulfate in the second reaction, the aluminum sulfate in the third reaction, and the water from both reactions became the reactants used in the final reaction of alum
The purpose for this lab was to use aluminum from a soda can to form a chemical compound known as hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate. In the lab aluminum waste were dissolved in KOH or potassium sulfide to form a complex alum. The solution was then filtered through gravity filtration to remove any solid material. 25 mLs of sulfuric acid was then added while gently boiling the solution resulting in crystals forming after cooling in an ice bath. The product was then collected and filter through vacuum filtration. Lastly, crystals were collected and weighed on a scale.
The ability to analyze a substance and determine properties of the substance is an important skill for AP Chemistry students. Major concepts for the “Analysis of Alum” laboratory are percent composition, water of hydration, and molecular formula. They will be used in three different experiments to determine the melting point of alum, the mole ratio of hydrated water to anhydrous alum, and percent of sulfate ion contained in alum. The values acquired in the lab should be close to the calculated values of 92.5 ˚F, 12 moles of water to 1 mole of alum, and 59%, respectively.
The purpose of this lab was to to cycle solid copper through a series of chemical forms and return it to its original form. A specific quantity of copper undergo many types of reactions and went through its whole cycle, then returned to its solid copper to be weighted. We observed 5 chemical reactions involving copper which are: Redox reaction (which includes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation state changed), double displacement reaction, precipitation reaction, decomposition reaction, and single displacement reaction.
perform a lot of procedures in order to obtain an anhydrous alum at the end. What we first wanted to obtain was a hydrated alum crystal. To achieve this, we broken down aluminum foil into pieces and let it reacts with 25mL of 3M KOH. Next, we filtered it to get rid of any undissolved particles. Furthermore, we heated the solution and let it rest until crystals were formed, and then cooled it once again to get the hydrated alum crystals. Then, we washed/filtered the crystals by wetting them with a non-soluble solution and let the crystals dry. After that, we took 2g of the alum crystals and burned them on a crucible, taking its mass beforehand. Lastly, we heated the solution for five more minutes and let it cool to room temperature.
This research includes information about Alka-Seltzer and it’s correlation with chemical reactions. Many people use the chemical reaction of Alka-Seltzers to heal themselves. Heat and cold can strongly affect the speed of a chemical reaction. This science project will determine the effect heat has on the reaction between a seltzer tablet and beakers of water. The temperatures will be extremely cold, cold, room temperature, hot, and boiling water.
Use your knowledge about the four signs of a chemical reaction to identify the chemical change in the following examples. What sign is observed and what is the new substance formed? Choose one of the examples below. The sign(s) of a chemical reaction should be identified along with the new substances formed if possible. Use the Internet to do further research if necessary. A water purification plant needs to remove an excess of lead and mercury from a stream of water before it can be sent into the city reservoir. The addition of ground up clam and mussel shells (calcium carbonate) to the water results in a black solid (lead or mercury carbonate) being formed in the water that can be filtered and removed from the liquid.
Originally, concepts of acidity came from the ancient Greeks who said that sour tasting substances were oxein, later mutated into the word vinegar acetum which became to “acid”. These substances were eventually found out not only to define sour things, but also be able to change litmus paper and corrode metals. On the contrary, bases were defined and studied by their ability to counteract acids and followed behind chemical characterizations of acids. The more rigid term called alkaline is from an Arabic root word roasting because the first bases were from the soap making substances which were obtained from roasting ashes then treating them with water and slaked lime.
Recycling has become a part of many people in Canada’s daily life, and for good reason. It is a vital part of how we are able to sustain our planet. Recycling comes in various different forms, with various methods of how it is completed. Many of the methods include no use of any chemical reactions in the process such as paper, glass, and wood. However there are a few types where chemical reactions are an important part of them. These types are kinds of metal, oil, and waste water recycling. In this essay I will be discussing the types and the uses of reactions, as well as the impact recycling has on our communities and our environment.
Aluminum is an element in the boron group with a symbol of Al, and an atomic number of 13. Aluminum is a very soft metal when pure but becomes strong and hard when alloyed, a malleable metal with a silvery gray color. Aluminum is a very reactive element so it is found in nature combined with other elements. Aluminum resists corrosion by the formation of a self-protecting oxide coating. Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, following oxygen and silicon. It makes up approximately 8% by weight of the Earth’s surface. Although this is evident, it is also apparent that aluminum is never found by itself in nature. All of the earth’s aluminum has combined with other elements to form compounds and in order to create new aluminum products; it has to be taken out of that specific compound. Aluminum does not rust like other elements, therefore it always remains strong and shiny, which means reused aluminum is almost identical to a brand new piece of metal. An electrochemical process creates aluminum. An electrochemical process is “the direct process end use in which electricity is used to cause a chemical transformation” ( E.I.A. Government). Major uses of electrochemical processes occur in the aluminum industry in which alumina is reduced to molten aluminum metal and oxygen, where than the aluminum can be used into making several different materials. Electrochemical processes, although very useful, can have serious environmental consequences. To help reduce the consequences that the production of aluminum creates, the idea of aluminum recycling comes into play.
Before the discovery of atom economy, there were no previous methods that were being used in order to limit the amount of waste product from a chemical r...
Mr. Kohtz was very detailed in his writing about “Taking the known reserves for aluminum in 1990, an engineer would have forecast that we had 63 years left of consumption. But 23 years into this forecast, are aluminum prices on the rise? Are we projecting shortages within our lifetimes?” Another approach to look at this would be how resourceful aluminum is. The Aluminum Association stated that “nearly 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today. Aluminum is 100 percent recyclable and retains its properties indefinitely. Aluminum is one of the only materials in the consumer disposal stream that more than pays for the cost of its own collection”.
According to the article published on 2016 July 21st, recycling saves energy by reducing or eliminating the need to make raw materials from scratch (Harmony, 2016). By recycling the products, it saves energy of producing the materials from scratch. Collecting materials, moving them and refining them is an expensive process. By recycling the manufacturers can reuse the old and useless products to make new and useful products. Jason Brennan said that “In 2003, the energy savings from recycling 54 billion aluminum cans exceeded the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil – or the amount of gas the U.S. uses in one day.” (Brennan, 2017). Just
Sol-gel process is convenient synthetic approach for preparation to metal oxide applied in a wide variety of fields including structural ceramics [1, 2], electronics [10, 11], sensors [3–5], optics [8, 9], and catalysts [6, 7] due to their hardness, high melting point, non-volatility, chemical inertness, and resistance to oxidation and corrosion [1-4]. The sol-gel method is based on phase transformation of a sol obtained from metallic alkoxides or molecular modified alkoxide. The suspended particles in the sol are polymerized at low temperature to form a wet gel [16-19]. Metal alkoxide, being the good precursors in sol-gel process, is purified by vacuum distillation or crystallization and addition pure water yields the metal oxide with high purity and the volatile by-product. A great advantage of this method of oxide preparation is in its absence of ionic impurities [20]. Despite being widely applied, the chemistry of the sol-gel synthesis utilizing metal alkoxide precursors is hardly understood.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Advantages to Aluminum. http://www.kaiserextrusion.com/advantage.html. November 28, 2000. Aluminum Facts. http://www.epa.gov/seahome/housewaste/src/alum.htm. November,28 2000. Bowman, Kenneth A. World Book Encyclopedia. "Aluminum." Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1992. Cobb, Cathy. Creations of Fire. New York: Plenum Press, 1995 Geary, Don. The Welder's Bible. Pensilvania: Tab Books, 1993. Knapp PhD, Brian. Aluminum. Connecticut: Grolier, 1996. Newmark, Dr. Ann. Chemistry. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1993. Walker, John R. Modern Metalworking. Illinois: The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc., 1985.
Acids are a material that releases a proton or hydrogen ion (H+). Acids always generate an H+ whenever the solution is aqueous, which can be easily identified. On the contrary, in an aqueous solution involving bases always produce an OH- ion. There are many different ways to identify whether a substance is an acid or a base. An acid is always sour, changes litmus, conduct an electric current, react with a base to form salt and water, and whenever there is a reaction, acids helps advance an hydrogen gas with an active metal, such as the alkaline earth metals, zinc, and many more. Some well known or common acids are citric acid, which are from citrus fruits, such as oranges, lime, and lemons. Vinegar and carbonic acid (soda/soft drinks) are also some common acids. Bases are the opposite of acids. They can be identified by their bitter taste, soapy or slippery feeling, and cannot change the color of litmus. Bases can become red litmus to reverse back to the blue litmus. Similarly, acids and bases conduct an electrical current in an aqueous solution, thus they are...