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how to separate a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide
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Lance Chambers
how to separate a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide
Hans' idea (evaporation + filtration) is not easy to carry out in practice. Concentrated $\ce{NaOH}$ solutions are extremely viscous, and if they are mixed with $\ce{NaC}$l crystals, they cannot be filtered easily. Look ! If the filtration is done on paper, the paper is quickly transformed into a sort of parchment, that prevents any liquid from going through. And if it is done on a glass-sintered filter, the glass will be attacked by $\ce{NaOH}$. As a consequence, I am afraid there is no possibility of separating easily $\ce{NaCl}$ from $\ce{NaOH}$. The only really working process would be centrifugation, which requires an equipment that is not always available in all laboratories.
Hans' idea (evaporation + filtration) is not easy to carry out in practice. Concentrated $\ce{NaOH}$ solutions are extremely viscous, and if they are mixed with $\ce{NaC}$l crystals, they cannot be filtered easily. Look ! If the filtration is done on paper, the paper is quickly transformed into a sort of parchment, that prevents any liquid from going through. And if it is done on a glass-sintered filter, the glass will be attacked by $\ce{NaOH}$. As a consequence, I am afraid there is no possibility of separating easily $\ce{NaCl}$ from $\ce{NaOH}$. The only really working process would be centrifugation, which requires an equipment that is not always available in all laboratories.
One solution would be to reduce the amount of solvent (under vacuum for instance), then filter out the precipitated NaCl at high temperature (at higher temperatures NaOH has as much as >10x the water solubility of NaCl).
The common ion effect will play in your favour, as the high water solubility of NaOH at higher temperatures will help you reach NaOH concentrations that strongly disfavours NaCl solubility.
The way to go may be to first reduce the solvent mass under vacuum at acceptably safe temperatures, and once the desired mass is reached redissolving most of the precipitated NaOH by pushing the temperature up before filtration to a level at which most NaOH has redissolved.
Use appropriate protection equipment and contact material to handle very hot NaOH.
One solution would be to reduce the amount of solvent (under vacuum for instance), then filter out the precipitated NaCl at high temperature (at higher temperatures NaOH has as much as >10x the water solubility of NaCl).
The common ion effect will play in your favour, as the high water solubility of NaOH at higher temperatures will help you reach NaOH concentrations that strongly disfavours NaCl solubility.
The way to go may be to first reduce the solvent mass under vacuum at acceptably safe temperatures, and once the desired mass is reached redissolving most of the precipitated NaOH by pushing the temperature up before filtration to a level at which most NaOH has redissolved.
Use appropriate protection equipment and contact material to handle very hot NaOH.
@Maurice: You bring up the point that concentrated NaOH solutions are not as easy to filter as any solution, which is a good remark. Two points on that (1) As for the case here we dont know the proportion of hydroxide vs chloride, so theres no indication how basic the solution would be once concentrated. (2) There are ways even for pure NaOH solutions: a) Cotton + Funnel works well, b) Crystalizing slowly and settling works also, and c) Even in the most extreme cases PTFE membranes with a water miscible solvent (to address the materials hydrophobicity), is another possible solution.More
Hans' idea (evaporation + filtration) is not easy to carry out in practice. Concentrated $\ce{NaOH}$ solutions are extremely viscous, and if they are mixed with $\ce{NaC}$l crystals, they cannot be filtered easily. Look ! If the filtration is done on paper, the paper is quickly transformed into a sort of parchment, that prevents any liquid from going through. And if it is done on a glass-sintered filter, the glass will be attacked by $\ce{NaOH}$. As a consequence, I am afraid there is no possibility of separating easily $\ce{NaCl}$ from $\ce{NaOH}$. The only really working process would be centrifugation, which requires an equipment that is not always available in all laboratories.
Hans' idea (evaporation + filtration) is not easy to carry out in practice. Concentrated $\ce{NaOH}$ solutions are extremely viscous, and if they are mixed with $\ce{NaC}$l crystals, they cannot be filtered easily. Look ! If the filtration is done on paper, the paper is quickly transformed into a sort of parchment, that prevents any liquid from going through. And if it is done on a glass-sintered filter, the glass will be attacked by $\ce{NaOH}$. As a consequence, I am afraid there is no possibility of separating easily $\ce{NaCl}$ from $\ce{NaOH}$. The only really working process would be centrifugation, which requires an equipment that is not always available in all laboratories.
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One solution would be to reduce the amount of solvent (under vacuum for instance), then filter out the precipitated NaCl at high temperature (at higher temperatures NaOH has as much as >10x the water solubility of NaCl).
The common ion effect will play in your favour, as the high water solubility of NaOH at higher temperatures will help you reach NaOH concentrations that strongly disfavours NaCl solubility.
The way to go may be to first reduce the solvent mass under vacuum at acceptably safe temperatures, and once the desired mass is reached redissolving most of the precipitated NaOH by pushing the temperature up before filtration to a level at which most NaOH has redissolved.
Use appropriate protection equipment and contact material to handle very hot NaOH.
One solution would be to reduce the amount of solvent (under vacuum for instance), then filter out the precipitated NaCl at high temperature (at higher temperatures NaOH has as much as >10x the water solubility of NaCl).
The common ion effect will play in your favour, as the high water solubility of NaOH at higher temperatures will help you reach NaOH concentrations that strongly disfavours NaCl solubility.
The way to go may be to first reduce the solvent mass under vacuum at acceptably safe temperatures, and once the desired mass is reached redissolving most of the precipitated NaOH by pushing the temperature up before filtration to a level at which most NaOH has redissolved.
Use appropriate protection equipment and contact material to handle very hot NaOH.
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