Preparation of salts

CHAPTER 17

Preparation of salts
Introduction
- Salts can be prepared by several general methods. These methods of preparation depend on:
The solubility of the salt in water.
The reactivity of the metal in the salt
Solubility of metal carbonate

Soluble and insoluble salts

Soluble salts
All nitrates
Most sulphates
Most chlorides, bromides and iodides
Carbonates of group I elements and ammonium
carbonate.
All salts of Na+, K+ and NH4+ ions

Insoluble salts
None
Lead sulphate, barium sulphate and calcium
sulphate, strontium sulphate.
Silver chloride, silver bromide, silver iodide, lead
chloride, lead bromide, lead iodide
Most other carbonates

Preparation of soluble salts

- When soluble salts are prepared, they are usually found in aqueous solution. Their pure samples can only
be recovered from solution by evaporation to dryness or crystallisation.
- Soluble salts are usually prepared using the following methods
- (a) Action of acids on metals:
- Metals higher in the reactivity series can be used to displace hydrogen gas from an aqueous solution of
an acid leaving behind a solution of a salt.
- To some warm dilute acid solution in a beaker, add some metal powder and stir.
- Keep adding metal powder while stirring until the excess metal powder can no longer dissolve no matter
the degree and duration of stirring.
- Filter the mixture to remove the undissolved metal powder.
- Transfer the filtrate collected which is the soluble salt solution to an evaporating dish.
- Heat the filtrate to evaporate most of the water until a saturated solution is formed by crystallisation.
- Leave the saturated solution to cool and dry until salt crystals are formed.
- Dry the salt crystals.
- Examples of salts prepared by this method are salts of calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron.
- Method is not suitable for reactive metals such as sodium and potassium because reaction is too violent
and explosive

Metal + Acid Soluble salt + Hydrogen gas

Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g).

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Preparation of salts

(b) Neutralisation:
A base (alkaline) is titrated against an appropriate acid solution during which the required salt is formed.
Place a known volume of acid (e.g. HCl) in a conical flask.
Add an indicator to the acid (if phenolphthalein is added, the colour will be colourless).
Add alkali (e.g. NaOH) from a burette until indictaor changes colour (phenolphthalein will change
colour from colourless to pink). This is the end point of titration and neutralisation is completed.
Record volume of alkali used.
Repeat whole process again with the known volumes of acid and alkali to produce salt solution (but do
not add indicator).
Heat salt solution by evaporation method to evaporate all water and obtain salt crystals.
If salt is not heat stable, crystallisation method is used instead to obtain salt crystals instead of
evaporation to dryness.
Dry the salt crystals.
Method is suitable for the preparation of salts of reactive metals such as sodium and potassium.

Alkaline + Acid Soluble salt + water

NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) NaCl(aq) + H2O(l).
- (c) Action of acids on insoluble bases:
- Such insoluble bases include insoluble oxides e.g CuO, and insoluble hydroxides e.g AgOH, Cu(OH) 2,
Fe(OH)2, Fe(OH)3.
- To some warm dilute acid solution in a beaker, add some oxide powder and stir.
- Keep adding oxide powder while stirring until the excess oxide powder can no longer dissolve no matter
the degree and duration of stirring.
- Filter the mixture to remove the undissolved oxide powder.
- Transfer the filtrate collected which is the soluble salt solution to an evaporating dish.
- Heat the filtrate to evaporate most of the water until a saturated solution is formed by crystallisation.
- Leave the saturated solution to cool and dry until salt crystals are formed.
- Dry the salt crystals.
- Examples of salts prepared by this method are salts of copper, iron etc.
Metal oxide + Acid Soluble salt + water
CuO(s) + H2SO4(aq) CuSO4(aq) + H2O(l).
- (c) Action of acids on carbonates:
- For a soluble carbonate e.g group I carbontes such as Na 2CO3, K2CO3 etc, the carbonate solution is
titrated against an appropriate acid solution during which the required salt is formed. An appropriate
indicator is used to indicated the point of complete reaction.
- For insoluble carbonates e.g CaCO3, ZnCO3 etc, the carbonate powder is added to some warm dilute acid
solution in a beaker and stir.
- Keep adding the carbonate powder while stirring until the excess carbonate powder can no longer
dissolve no matter the degree and duration of stirring.
- Filter the mixture to remove the undissolved carbonate powder.
- Transfer the filtrate collected which is the soluble salt solution to an evaporating dish.
- Heat the filtrate to evaporate most of the water until a saturated solution is formed by crystallisation.
- Leave the saturated solution to cool and dry until salt crystals are formed.
- Dry the salt crystals.
- Examples of salts prepared by this method are salts of calcium, barium, strontium etc.
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O-Level chemistry notes 2015-2016 school year prepared by Nkemzi E.N

Preparation of salts

Metal carbonate + Acid Soluble salt + carbon dioxide + water

CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(aq) CaCl2(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l).

Preparation of insoluble salts

- Insoluble salts are usually prepared using the following methods
-

(a) Double decomposition reaction:

In this method, two solutions of soluble salts are mixed to form a precipitate of the insoluble salt.
Place a known volume of one soluble salt solution in a beaker.
Keep adding the other soluble salt solution and stir to mix until no more precipitate forms.
Filter out the precipitate.
The residue is the insoluble salt you are trying to get.
Wash residue with water.
Dry the insoluble salt crystals.
Salts that can be prepared by this method are BaSO4, SrSO4, AgCl, AgBr, AgI, PbCl2 etc because they are
all insoluble salts.

Aqueous salt 1 + Aqueous salt 2 insoluble salt + Aqueous salt 3

AgNO3(aq) + NaCl(aq) AgCl(s) + NaNO3(aq).
- (a) Direct combination reaction:
- Some metallic salts such as halides and sulphides can be prepared by directly combining the elements
that make up the salt. It is also suitable for the preparation of soluble salts.
- This method is used for preparing binary salts (salts containing only two kinds of elements).
- Special method of recovery may not be required as no side reaction may take place to contaminate the
salt.
Metal + halogen salt (metal halide)
Zn(s) + Cl2(aq) ZnCl2(s).
Metal + sulphur salt (metal sulpide)
Fe(s) + S(s) FeS(s).

Hydrated and anhydrous salts

-

Some salts are recovered from solution with molecules of water chemically attached.
These molecules of water are known as water of crystallisation.
Salts with molecules of water of crystallisation are called hydrated salts.
Salts without molecules of water of crystallisation are called anhydrous salts.
When hydrated salts are heated strongly, they lose their water of crystallisation. This is described as a
chemical reaction.
Hydrated salts
Anhydrous salts
CuSO4.5H2O
NaCl
CoCl2.6H2O
Na2SO4
FeSO4.7H2O
KBr

Efflorescence, deliquescence and hydgroscopy

- The terms explain the changes certain substances undergo when exposed to the air.
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O-Level chemistry notes 2015-2016 school year prepared by Nkemzi E.N

Preparation of salts

- When certain substances are exposed to the air, they either lose their water of crystallisation or absorb
moisture from the surroundings.
- (a) Efflorescence:
- When some substances are exposed to air, they lose some or all of its water of crystallisation to the
atmosphere, thereby reducing in weight.
- In the process, the substance changes from the crystalline form to the powder form.
- For example, FeSO4. 7H2O and Na2SO4.10H2O are crystalline salts that effloresce by losing all of their
water of crystallization when exposed to air.
Na2SO4.10H2O(s) Na2SO4(s) + 10H2O(g).
Crystals

powder

- Na2CO3.10H2O when exposed to air loses 9 of its molecules of water of crystallization.

Na2CO3.10H2O(s) Na2CO3.H2O(s) + 9H2O(g).
- (b) Deliquescence:
- Some substances absorb moisture when exposed to air and dissolve in the moisture to form solutions.
The process could either be physical or chemical.
- Example, solid NaOH, CaCl2, P4O10, FeCl3, KOH, MgCl2.
- CaCl2 absorbs moisture when exposed to air and dissolve in the moisture to form a solution of calcium
chloride (CaCl2(aq)).
CaCl2(s) + H2O(l) CaCl2(aq).
salt

moisture

solution

- P4O10 absorbs moisture when exposed to air and reacts with the moisture to form a solution of
phosphoric acid (H3PO4(aq)).
P4O10(s) + 6H2O(l) 4H3PO4(aq).
oxide

moisture

solution

- Deliquescent substances can be used as drying agents for gases.

- (c) Hygroscopy:
- Some substances absorb moisture when exposed to air but do not dissolve in the moisture to form
solutions. Such substances are said to be hygroscopic.
- The process is accompanied by increase in the mass of the salt due to moisture absorbed from the air and
the powder form of the substance converted to crystals.
- In some cases, the colour of substance changes. For example, anhydrous copper (II) sulphate is white but
hydrated copper (II) sulphate is blue.
CuSO4(s)
+ 5H2O(s) CuSO4.5H2O(g).
White anhydrous
powder

moisture

blue hydrated
crystals

- Examples of such substances include solids such as CaO, CuSO 4(s), CoCl2(s), CuO and some liquids such
as concentrated H2SO4.
Uses of salts
- Use in the production of soap e.g NaCl in salting out process.
- Used in flavouring food e.g NaCl and preserving food e.g NaNO 2, Na2SO3.
- Used as fertiliser e.g KCl, NaNO3, NH4NO3, KNO3 etc.
- Used in the production of important chemicals e.g NaOH, H2 and Cl2 from NaCl.
- Used as drying agents e.g CaCl2.
- Used in photography e.g silver salts such as AgBr.

Disadvantages of salts
- Some are harmful e.g KCN kills easily if it enters the body.
- Over use of fertilisers causes leaching and eutrophication in rivers.
- Too much salt can cause high blood pressure

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O-Level chemistry notes 2015-2016 school year prepared by Nkemzi E.N