Is solvay process applicable for Rubidium and cesium?
Is solvay process applicable for group 2 elemnts?
Dear student
In Solvays process the brine solution is treated with calcium carbonate solution to form sodium carbonate and calcium chloride resp. The reaction taking place is
2 NaCl + CaCO3 → Na2CO3 + CaCl2
In this reaction, the products are more stable than the reactants because the thermal stability of products is more than that of the reactants. But if the similar reaction will be carried out by the reaction of RbCl with CaCO3, then the compound is going to loose its ionic nature and will be converted to a more covalent compound. This change is not desirable and thus the Solvays process will be difficult.
In the case of alkaline earth metals, it will be just the displacement reaction like
BeCl2 + CaCO3 to form BeCO3 + CaCl2
Now the reaction has to be compared on the basis of stability of LHS and RHS products. Since the reactants are more stable than the products ( because of the ionic character) so the reaction can not be carried out easily.
Regards
In Solvays process the brine solution is treated with calcium carbonate solution to form sodium carbonate and calcium chloride resp. The reaction taking place is
2 NaCl + CaCO3 → Na2CO3 + CaCl2
In this reaction, the products are more stable than the reactants because the thermal stability of products is more than that of the reactants. But if the similar reaction will be carried out by the reaction of RbCl with CaCO3, then the compound is going to loose its ionic nature and will be converted to a more covalent compound. This change is not desirable and thus the Solvays process will be difficult.
In the case of alkaline earth metals, it will be just the displacement reaction like
BeCl2 + CaCO3 to form BeCO3 + CaCl2
Now the reaction has to be compared on the basis of stability of LHS and RHS products. Since the reactants are more stable than the products ( because of the ionic character) so the reaction can not be carried out easily.
Regards