A Sodium Fusion

Problem 2.4 (a How would you detect halide ion as a product of sodium fusion or oxidation (b) If sulfur and/or nitrogen is also present in an organic molecule, this test cannot be carried out on a sodium fusion mixture until it has been acidified and boiled. Why is this so ... 

In many cases, the presence of halogen can be detected without a sodium fusion or Schbnigor oxidation. An unknown is warmed for a few minutes with alcoholic silver nitrate (the alcohol dissolves both the ionic reagent and the organic compound) halogen is indicated by formation of a precipitate that is insoluble in dilute nitric acid. 

The first step would be to perform a sodium fusion which would break the alkyl halides into their components which include halide anions. After acidification and addition of CCI14, we shake with CI2/H2O and observe the results. If the unknown is n-heptyl bromide, the bromide anions will be oxidized to Br2, which will be soluble in cell layer giving it a distinctive red-brown color. If no color is observed, 1,3 dichloro-2-propanol could still be present, as Cl is not converted to CI2 under the previous conditions. To test for the dichloro compound, we simply add AgNOa with a white precipitate, AgCl indicating the presence of chlorine. 

A sodium fusion test would first be performed on the unknown, breaking it down into its components, and then the unknown would be acidified, mixed with carbon tetrachloride, and shaken with Cl2. A purple color would be indicative of I2/ which would indicate n-hexyl iodide as the unknown. If no purple color is observed, we would add AgNOa. The formation of a white precipitate (AgCl) would point to benzyl chloride as the unknown. 

We can give you results from a sodium fusion. To try it. press LAB. 

Chemical Test. Carry out a sodium fusion test to confirm the presence of nitrogen, sulfur, and chlorine in the product (see Chapter 9). 

The sodium fusion and extraction, if performed strictly in accordance with the above directions, should be safe operations. In crowded laboratories, however, additional safety may be obtained by employing the follow ing modification. Suspend the hard-glass test-tube by the rim through a hole in a piece of stout copper sheet (Fig. 69). Place 1 -2 pellets of sodium in the tube, and heat gently until the sodium melts. Then drop the organic compound, in small quantities at a time, down — =. the tube, allowing the reaction to subside after each addition before the next is made. (If the compound is liquid, allow two or three small drops to fall at intervals from a fine dropping-tube directly on to the molten sodium.) Then heat the complete mixture as before until no further reaction occurs. 

To determine which halogen is present, take 1-2 ml. of the filtrate from the sodium fusion, and add dilute sulphuric acid until just acid to litmus. Add about 1 ml. of benzene and then about 1 ml. of chlorine water and shake. A yellowish-brown colour in the benzene indicates bromine, and a violet colour iodine. If neither colour appears, the halogen is chlorine. The result may be confirmed by testing the solubility of the silver halide (free from cyanide) in dilute ammonia solution silver chloride is readily soluble, whereas the bromide dissolves with difficulty, and the iodide not at all. 

Sulphur. THE LASSAIGNE SODIUM TEST. The sodium fusion will have converted any sulphur present in the original compounds to sodium sulphide. Dissolve a few crystals of sodium nitroprusside, Na8[Fe(CN)5NO],zH20, in water, and add the solution to the third portion of the filtrate obtained from the sodium fusion. A brilliant purple coloration (resembling permanganate) indicates sulphur the coloration slowly fades on standing. Note, (i) Sodium nitroprusside is unstable in aqueous solution and therefore the solution should be freshly prepared on each occasion, (ii) This is a very delicate test for sulphides, and it is essential therefore that all apparatus, particularly test-tubes, should be quite clean. 

Sodium Fusion on Semi mlcro Scale. The Lassaigne test can be readily carried out with as little as 0 01 g. of material, using sodium pellets about 2 mm. in diameter in a tube about 3 x. After fusion, the red-hot tube is plunged into distilled water in a small porcelain crucible or in a boiling tube. The mixture is then heated, filtered and tested as already described. 

The following alternative procedure is recommended and it possesses the advantage that the same tube may be used for many sodium fusions. Support a Pyrex test tube (150 X 12 mm.) vertically in a clamp lined with asbestos cloth or with sheet cork. Place a cube (ca. 4 mm. side = 0 04 g.) of freshly cut sodium in the tube and heat the latter imtil the sodium vapour rises 4 5 cm. in the test-tube. Drop a small amount (about 0-05 g.) of the substance, preferably portionwise, directly into the sodium vapour CAUTION there may be a slight explosion) then heat the tube to redness for about 1 minute. Allow the test tube to cool, add 3-4 ml. of methyl alcohol to decompose any unreacted sodium, then halffill the tube with distilled water and boil gently for a few minutes. Filter and use the clear, colourless filtrate for the various tests detailed below. Keep the test-tube for sodium fusions it will usually become discoloured and should be cleaned from time to time with a little scouring powder. 

Phosphorus. The presence of phosphorus may be indicated by a smell of phosphine during the sodium fusion. Treat 1 ml. of the fusion solution with 3 ml. of eoneentrated nitric acid and boil for one minute. Cool and add an equal volume of ammonium molybdate reagent. Warm the mixture to 40-50°, and allow to stand. If phosphorus is present, a yellow erystalline precipitate of ammonium phosphomolybdate wUl separate. 

The most popular device for fluoride analysis is the ion-selective electrode (see Electro analytical techniques). Analysis usiag the electrode is rapid and this is especially useful for dilute solutions and water analysis. Because the electrode responds only to free fluoride ion, care must be taken to convert complexed fluoride ions to free fluoride to obtain the total fluoride value (8). The fluoride electrode also can be used as an end poiat detector ia titration of fluoride usiag lanthanum nitrate [10099-59-9]. Often volumetric analysis by titration with thorium nitrate [13823-29-5] or lanthanum nitrate is the method of choice. The fluoride is preferably steam distilled from perchloric or sulfuric acid to prevent iaterference (9,10). Fusion with a sodium carbonate—sodium hydroxide mixture or sodium maybe required if the samples are covalent or iasoluble. 

Germanates. Germanates are usually prepared by the fusion of Ge02 with alkah oxides or carbonates in platinum cmcibles. Sodium heptagermanate [12195-31 -2], Na HGe O 4H2O, is precipitated by the neutrali2ation of a sodium hydroxide solution of Ge02 with hydrochloric acid to a pH above 7. 

The analytical chemistry of titanium has been reviewed (179—181). Titanium ores can be dissolved by fusion with potassium pyrosulfate, followed by dissolution of the cooled melt in dilute sulfuric acid. For some ores, even if all of the titanium is dissolved, a small amount of residue may still remain. If a hiU analysis is required, the residue may be treated by moistening with sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids and evaporating, to remove siUca, and then fused in a sodium carbonate—borate mixture. Alternatively, fusion in sodium carbonate—borate mixture can be used for ores and a boiling mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate for titanium dioxide pigments. For trace-element deterrninations, the preferred method is dissolution in a mixture of hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids. 

Iron Precipitation. Rich sulfide ore or Hquated antimony sulfide (cmde antimony) is reduced to metal by iron precipitation. This process, consisting essentially of heating molten antimony sulfide ia cmcibles with slightly more than the theoretical amount of fine iron scrap, depends on the abihty of iron to displace antimony from molten antimony sulfide. Sodium sulfate and carbon are added to produce sodium sulfide, or salt is added to form a light fusible matte with iron sulfide and to faciHtate separation of the metal. Because the metal so formed contains considerable iron and some sulfur, a second fusion with some Hquated antimony sulfide and salt foHows for purification. 

For the most part boric acid esters are quantitated by hydrolysis in hot water followed by determination of the amount of boron by the mannitol titration (see Boron compounds, boric oxide, boric acid and borates). Separation of and measuring mixtures of borate esters can be difficult. Any water present causes hydrolysis and in mixtures, as a result of transesterification, it is possible to have a number of borate esters present. For some borate esters, such as triethanolamine borate, hydrolysis is sufftciendy slow that quantitation by hydrolysis and titration cannot be done. In these cases, a sodium carbonate fusion is necessary. 

Fusions with (a) sodium carbonate or fusion mixture, (b) borax and lithium metaborate, (c) alkali bifluorides, and (d) alkali hydrogensulphates (slight attack in the last case above 700 °C, which is diminished by the addition of ammonium sulphate). 

Substances which are insoluble or only partially soluble in acids are brought into solution by fusion with the appropriate reagent. The most commonly used fusion reagents, or fluxes as they are called, are anhydrous sodium carbonate, either alone or, less frequently, mixed with potassium nitrate or sodium peroxide potassium pyrosulphate, or sodium pyrosulphate sodium peroxide sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. Anhydrous lithium metaborate has found favour as a flux, especially for materials containing silica 12 when the resulting fused mass is dissolved in dilute acids, no separation of silica takes place as it does when a sodium carbonate melt is similarly treated. Other advantages claimed for lithium metaborate are the following. 

The loss of platinum from the crucible is less during a lithium metaborate fusion than with a sodium carbonate fusion. 

Applications Basic methods for the determination of halogens in polymers are fusion with sodium carbonate (followed by determination of the sodium halide), oxygen flask combustion and XRF. Crompton [21] has reported fusion with sodium bicarbonate for the determination of traces of chlorine in PE (down to 5 ppm), fusion with sodium bisulfate for the analysis of titanium, iron and aluminium in low-pressure polyolefins (at 1 ppm level), and fusion with sodium peroxide for the complexometric determination using EDTA of traces of bromine in PS (down to 100ppm). Determination of halogens in plastics by ICP-MS can be achieved using a carbonate fusion procedure, but this will result in poor recoveries for a number of elements [88]. A sodium peroxide fusion-titration procedure is capable of determining total sulfur in polymers in amounts down to 500 ppm with an accuracy of 5% [89]. 

In order to ascertain whether sufficient nickel to complete a given reaction has been used, the liquid phase may be tested for starting material before an attempt is made to isolate a product. In general the sodium fusion test for sulfur is satisfactory for this purpose but in certain individual cases a specific test may be more convenient. Thus, in the desulfurization of thioacetals (mercaptals), unreacted material... 

Amines are easily identified because they re readily soluble in dilute acid. Sodium fusion converts the cimine to the cyanide ion, which is detectable by a Vciriety of methods. The ready formation and decomposition of diazonium salts (discussed in the earlier section Reactions with nitrous acid ) leads to the identification of primary amines. The Hinsberg test (see the nearby sidebcir) is useful in identifying amines. 

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