Sodium oxide

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Sodium oxide
Sodium oxide Sodium-oxide-unit-cell-3D-balls-B.png
Sodium oxide
Sodium oxide Sodium-oxide-3D-polyhedra.png
Sodium oxide
Names
IUPAC name
Sodium oxide
Other names
  • Disodium oxide
  • Natrium oxide (historic)
  • Soda
  • Sodium oxidosodium
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ECHA InfoCard 100.013.827 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 215-208-9
PubChem CID
UNII
UN number 1825
  • InChI=1S/2Na.O/q2*+1;-2
  • [O-2].[Na+].[Na+]
Properties
Na2O
Molar mass 61.979 g·mol−1
Appearancewhite solid
Density 2.27 g/cm3
Melting point 1,132 °C (2,070 °F; 1,405 K)
Boiling point 1,950 °C (3,540 °F; 2,220 K) sublimates
sublimates at 1275 °C
Reacts to form NaOH
Solubility Reacts with ethanol
19.8·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
Antifluorite (face centered cubic), cF12
Fm3m, No. 225
Tetrahedral (Na+); cubic (O2−)
Thermochemistry
72.95 J/(mol·K)
Std molar
entropy
(S298)
73 J/(mol·K) [1]
−416 kJ/mol [1]
−377.1 kJ/mol
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards
corrosive, reacts violently with water
GHS labelling:
GHS-pictogram-acid.svg [2]
H314
P260, P264, P280, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P321, P363, P405, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704.svgHealth 3: Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury. E.g. chlorine gasFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 1: Normally stable, but can become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures. E.g. calciumSpecial hazard W: Reacts with water in an unusual or dangerous manner. E.g. sodium, sulfuric acid
3
0
1
W
Flash point nonflammable
Safety data sheet (SDS) ICSC 1653
Related compounds
Other anions
Other cations
Related sodium oxides
Related compounds
Sodium hydroxide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Sodium oxide is a chemical compound with the formula Na2O. It is used in ceramics and glasses. It is a white solid but the compound is rarely encountered. Instead "sodium oxide" is used to describe components of various materials such as glasses and fertilizers which contain oxides that include sodium and other elements.

Contents

Structure

The structure of sodium oxide has been determined by X-ray crystallography. Most alkali metal oxides M2O (M = Li, Na, K, Rb) crystallise in the antifluorite structure. In this motif the positions of the anions and cations are reversed relative to their positions in CaF2, with sodium ions tetrahedrally coordinated to 4 oxide ions and oxide cubically coordinated to 8 sodium ions. [3] [4]

Preparation

Sodium oxide is produced by the reaction of sodium with sodium hydroxide, sodium peroxide, or sodium nitrite: [5]

2 NaOH + 2 Na → 2 Na2O + H2

To the extent that NaOH is contaminated with water, correspondingly greater amounts of sodium are employed. Excess sodium is distilled from the crude product. [6]

A second method involves heating a mixture of sodium azide and sodium nitrate: [6]

5 NaN3 + NaNO3 → 3 Na2O + 8 N2

Burning sodium in air produces a mixture of Na2O and sodium peroxide (Na2O2).

A third much less known method involves heating sodium metal with iron(III) oxide (rust):

6 Na + Fe2O3 → 3 Na2O + 2 Fe

the reaction should be done in an inert atmosphere to avoid the reaction of sodium with the air instead.

Applications

Glassmaking

Glasses are often described in terms of their sodium oxide content although they do not really contain Na2O. Furthermore, such glasses are not made from sodium oxide, but the equivalent of Na2O is added in the form of "soda" (sodium carbonate), which loses carbon dioxide at high temperatures:

Na2CO3 → Na2O + CO2
Na2O + SiO2Na2SiO3
Na2CO3 + SiO2 → Na2SiO3 + CO2

A typical manufactured glass contains around 15% sodium oxide, 70% silica (silicon dioxide), and 9% lime (calcium oxide). The sodium carbonate "soda" serves as a flux to lower the temperature at which the silica mixture melts. Such soda-lime glass has a much lower melting temperature than pure silica and has slightly higher elasticity. These changes arise because the Na2[SiO2]x[SiO3]-based material is somewhat more flexible.

Reactions

Sodium oxide reacts readily and irreversibly with water to give sodium hydroxide:

Na2O + H2O → 2 NaOH

Because of this reaction, sodium oxide is sometimes referred to as the base anhydride of sodium hydroxide (more archaically, "anhydride of caustic soda").

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbonate</span> Salt or ester of carbonic acid

A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, H2CO3, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula CO2−3. The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate groupO=C(−O−)2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydroxide</span> Chemical compound

Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water. It functions as a base, a ligand, a nucleophile, and a catalyst. The hydroxide ion forms salts, some of which dissociate in aqueous solution, liberating solvated hydroxide ions. Sodium hydroxide is a multi-million-ton per annum commodity chemical. The corresponding electrically neutral compound HO is the hydroxyl radical. The corresponding covalently bound group –OH of atoms is the hydroxy group. Both the hydroxide ion and hydroxy group are nucleophiles and can act as catalysts in organic chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium hydroxide</span> Chemical compound with formula NaOH

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions OH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Base (chemistry)</span> Type of chemical substance

In chemistry, there are three definitions in common use of the word "base": Arrhenius bases, Brønsted bases, and Lewis bases. All definitions agree that bases are substances that react with acids, as originally proposed by G.-F. Rouelle in the mid-18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium carbonate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water. Historically, it was extracted from the ashes of plants grown in sodium-rich soils, and because the ashes of these sodium-rich plants were noticeably different from ashes of wood, sodium carbonate became known as "soda ash". It is produced in large quantities from sodium chloride and limestone by the Solvay process, as well as by carbonating sodium hydroxide which is made using the Chlor-alkali process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium hydroxide</span> Inorganic compound (KOH)

Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, and is commonly called caustic potash.

The Bayer process is the principal industrial means of refining bauxite to produce alumina (aluminium oxide) and was developed by Carl Josef Bayer. Bauxite, the most important ore of aluminium, contains only 30–60% aluminium oxide (Al2O3), the rest being a mixture of silica, various iron oxides, and titanium dioxide. The aluminium oxide must be further purified before it can be refined into aluminium metal.

An acidic oxide is an oxide that either produces an acidic solution upon addition to water, or acts as an acceptor of hydroxide ions effectively functioning as a Lewis acid. Acidic oxides will typically have a low pKa and may be inorganic or organic. A commonly encountered acidic oxide, carbon dioxide produces an acidic solution when dissolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium peroxide</span> Chemical compound

Sodium peroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula Na2O2. This yellowish solid is the product of sodium ignited in excess oxygen. It is a strong base. This metal peroxide exists in several hydrates and peroxyhydrates including Na2O2·2H2O2·4H2O, Na2O2·2H2O, Na2O2·2H2O2, and Na2O2·8H2O. The octahydrate, which is simple to prepare, is white, in contrast to the anhydrous material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium aluminate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium aluminate is an inorganic chemical that is used as an effective source of aluminium hydroxide for many industrial and technical applications. Pure sodium aluminate (anhydrous) is a white crystalline solid having a formula variously given as NaAlO2, NaAl(OH)4 (hydrated), Na2O·Al2O3, or Na2Al2O4. Commercial sodium aluminate is available as a solution or a solid.
Other related compounds, sometimes called sodium aluminate, prepared by reaction of Na2O and Al2O3 are Na5AlO4 which contains discrete AlO45− anions, Na7Al3O8 and Na17Al5O16 which contain complex polymeric anions, and NaAl11O17, once mistakenly believed to be β-alumina, a phase of aluminium oxide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium metasilicate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium metasilicate is the chemical substance with formula Na
2
SiO
3
, which is the main component of commercial sodium silicate solutions. It is an ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na+
and the polymeric metasilicate anions [–SiO2−
3
–]n. It is a colorless crystalline hygroscopic and deliquescent solid, soluble in water but not in alcohols.

Potassium hypomanganate is the inorganic compound with the formula K3MnO4. Also known as potassium manganate(V), this bright blue solid is a rare example of a salt with the hypomanganate or manganate(V) anion, where the manganese atom is in the +5 oxidation state. It is an intermediate in the production of potassium permanganate and the industrially most important Mn(V) compound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alkali–silica reaction</span> Chemical reaction damaging concrete

The alkali–silica reaction (ASR), also commonly known as concrete cancer, is a deleterious swelling reaction that occurs over time in concrete between the highly alkaline cement paste and the reactive amorphous silica found in many common aggregates, given sufficient moisture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concrete degradation</span> Damage to concrete affecting its mechanical strength and its durability

Concrete degradation may have many different causes. Concrete is mostly damaged by the corrosion of reinforcement bars due to the carbonatation of hardened cement paste or chloride attack under wet conditions. Chemical damages are caused by the formation of expansive products produced by various chemical reactions, by aggressive chemical species present in groundwater and seawater, or by microorganisms. Other damaging processes can also involve calcium leaching by water infiltration and different physical phenomena initiating cracks formation and propagation. All these detrimental processes and damaging agents adversely affects the concrete mechanical strength and its durability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium bismuthate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium bismuthate is an inorganic compound, and a strong oxidiser with chemical formula NaBiO3. It is somewhat hygroscopic, but not soluble in cold water, which can be convenient since the reagent can be easily removed after the reaction. It is one of the few water insoluble sodium salts. Commercial samples may be a mixture of bismuth(V) oxide, sodium carbonate and sodium peroxide.

The purpose of a mineralizer is to facilitate the transport of insoluble “nutrient” to a seed crystal by means of a reversible chemical reaction. Over time, the seed crystal accumulates the material that was once in the nutrient and grows. Mineralizers are additives that aid the solubilization of the nutrient solid. When used in small quantities, mineralizers function as catalysts. Typically, a more stable solid is crystallized from a solution that consists of a less stable solid and a solvent. The process is done by dissolution-precipitation or crystallization process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium stannate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium stannate, formally sodium hexahydroxostannate(IV), is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2[Sn(OH)6]. This colourless salt forms upon dissolving metallic tin or tin(IV) oxide in sodium hydroxide, and is used as a stabiliser for hydrogen peroxide. In older literature, stannates are sometimes represented as having the simple oxyanion SnO32−, in which case this compound is sometimes named as sodium stannate–3–water and represented as Na2SnO3·3H2O, a hydrate with three waters of crystallisation. The anhydrous form of sodium stannate, Na2SnO3, is recognised as a distinct compound with its own CAS Registry Number, 12058-66-1, and a distinct material safety data sheet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium germanate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium germanate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na2GeO3. It exists as a colorless solid. Sodium germanate is primarily used for the synthesis of other germanium compounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metal peroxide</span>

Metal peroxides are metal-containing compounds with ionically- or covalently-bonded peroxide (O2−
2
) groups. This large family of compounds can be divided into ionic and covalent peroxide. The first class mostly contains the peroxides of the alkali and alkaline earth metals whereas the covalent peroxides are represented by such compounds as hydrogen peroxide and peroxymonosulfuric acid (H2SO5). In contrast to the purely ionic character of alkali metal peroxides, peroxides of transition metals have a more covalent character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass bead road surface marking</span>

Glass beads composed of soda lime glass are essential for providing retroreflectivity in many kinds of road surface markings. Retroreflectivity occurs when incident light from vehicles is refracted within glass beads that are imbedded in road surface markings and then reflected back into the driver's field of view. In North America, approximately 227 million kilograms of glass beads are used for road surface markings annually. Roughly 520 kilograms of glass beads are used per mile during remarking of a five lane highway system, and road remarking can occur every two to five years. In the United States, the massive demand for glass beads has led to importing from countries using outdated manufacturing regulations and techniques. These techniques include the use of heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony, and lead during the manufacturing process as decolorizes and fining agents. It has been found that the heavy metals become incorporated into the bead's glass matrix and may leach under environmental conditions that roads experience.

References

  1. 1 2 Zumdahl, Steven S. (2009). Chemical Principles 6th Ed. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. A23. ISBN   978-0-618-94690-7.
  2. Sigma-Aldrich Co., Sodium oxide. Retrieved on 2014-05-25.
  3. Zintl, E.; Harder, A.; Dauth B. (1934). "Gitterstruktur der oxyde, sulfide, selenide und telluride des lithiums, natriums und kaliums". Zeitschrift für Elektrochemie und Angewandte Physikalische Chemie . 40 (8): 588–93. doi:10.1002/bbpc.19340400811. S2CID   94213844.
  4. Wells, A. F. (1984) Structural Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford: Clarendon Press ISBN   0-19-855370-6
  5. Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN   978-0-08-037941-8.
  6. 1 2 E. Dönges (1963). "Sodium Oxide (IV)". In G. Brauer (ed.). Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Vol. 1pages=975-6. NY, NY: Academic Press.