Amalgamation

The final design shown in Fig. 16.7 amalgamates the hot-end design from Fig. 16.5c and the cold-end design from Fig. 16.6c. The duty on hot utility of 7.5 MW agrees with Qnmm and the duty on the cold utility of 10 MW agrees with Qcmm predicted by the composite curves and the problem table algorithm. 

Usually prepared by the action of NaCN on benzaldehyde in dilute alcohol. It is oxidized by nitric acid to benzil, and reduced by sodium amalgam to hydrobenzoin PhCHOHCHOHPh by tin amalgam and hydrochloric acid to des-oxybenzoin, PhCH2COPh and by zinc amalgam to stilbene PhCH = CHPh. It gives an oxime, phenylhydrazone and ethanoyl derivative. The a-oxime is used under the name cupron for the estimation of copper and molybdenum. 

Clemmensen reduction Aldehydes and ketones may generally be reduced to the corresponding hydrocarbons by healing with amalgamated zinc and hydrochloric acid. 

Jones reductor A tube containing zinc amalgam. Used for reduction of solutions (e.g. 

Colourless crystals m.p. 122 C. It is prepared by reducing an alcoholic solution of xanthone with sodium amalgam. 

Anodic-stripping voltaimnetry (ASV) is used for the analysis of cations in solution, particularly to detemiine trace heavy metals. It involves pre-concentrating the metals at the electrode surface by reducmg the dissolved metal species in the sample to the zero oxidation state, where they tend to fomi amalgams with Hg. Subsequently, the potential is swept anodically resulting in the dissolution of tire metal species back into solution at their respective fomial potential values. The detemiination step often utilizes a square-wave scan (SWASV), since it increases the rapidity of tlie analysis, avoiding interference from oxygen in solution, and improves the sensitivity. This teclmique has been shown to enable the simultaneous detemiination of four to six trace metals at concentrations down to fractional parts per billion and has found widespread use in seawater analysis. 

Sodium hydroxide is manufactured by electrolysis of concentrated aqueous sodium chloride the other product of the electrolysis, chlorine, is equally important and hence separation of anode and cathode products is necessary. This is achieved either by a diaphragm (for example in the Hooker electrolytic cell) or by using a mercury cathode which takes up the sodium formed at the cathode as an amalgam (the Kellner-Solvay ceW). The amalgam, after removal from the electrolyte cell, is treated with water to give sodium hydroxide and mercury. The mercury cell is more costly to operate but gives a purer product. 

The electrode potential of aluminium would lead us to expect attack by water. The inertness to water is due to the formation of an unreactive layer of oxide on the metal surface. In the presence of mercury, aluminium readily forms an amalgam (destroying the original surface) which is. therefore, rapidly attacked by water. Since mercury can be readily displaced from its soluble salts by aluminium, contact with such salts must be avoided if rapid corrosion and weakening of aluminium structures is to be prevented. 

Many metals are oxidised by water. At ordinary temperatures the more electropositive metals, for example, sodium, calcium (or their amalgams with mercury), react to give hydrogen, for example ... 

Despite its electrode potential (p. 98), very pure zinc has little or no reaction with dilute acids. If impurities are present, local electrochemical cells are set up (cf the rusting of iron. p. 398) and the zinc reacts readily evolving hydrogen. Amalgamation of zinc with mercury reduces the reactivity by giving uniformity to the surface. Very pure zinc reacts readily with dilute acids if previously coated with copper by adding copper(II) sulphate ... 

Mercury has been known for many centuries, perhaps because its extraction is easy it has an almost unique appearance, it readily displaces gold from its ores and it forms amalgams with many other metals—all properties which caused the alchemists to regard it as one of the fundamental substances. 

The metal is slowly oxidised by air at its boiling point, to give red mercury(II) oxide it is attacked by the halogens (which cannoi therefore be collected over mercury) and by nitric acid. (The reactivity of mercury towards acids is further considered on pp. 436, 438.) It forms amalgams—liquid or solid—with many other metals these find uses as reducing agents (for example with sodium, zinc) and as dental fillings (for example with silver, tin or copper). 

Originally, general methods of separation were based on small differences in the solubilities of their salts, for examples the nitrates, and a laborious series of fractional crystallisations had to be carried out to obtain the pure salts. In a few cases, individual lanthanides could be separated because they yielded oxidation states other than three. Thus the commonest lanthanide, cerium, exhibits oxidation states of h-3 and -t-4 hence oxidation of a mixture of lanthanide salts in alkaline solution with chlorine yields the soluble chlorates(I) of all the -1-3 lanthanides (which are not oxidised) but gives a precipitate of cerium(IV) hydroxide, Ce(OH)4, since this is too weak a base to form a chlorate(I). In some cases also, preferential reduction to the metal by sodium amalgam could be used to separate out individual lanthanides. 

Many aldehydes and ketones can be reduced directly by Clenimemen s method, in which the aldehyde or ketone is boiled with dilute hydrochloric acid and amalgamated zinc. />-Methylacetophenone (or methyl />-tolyl ketone) is reduced under these conditions to />-ethyltoluene. An excess of the reducing agent is employed in order to pre ent the formation of unsaturated hydrocarbons. 

Sodium amalgam. The amalgam which is generally employed for reductions contains from 1 to 3 per cent, of sodium. Amalgams with a greater sodium content than 1 2 per cent, are solid at the ordinary temperature and can be powdered in a mortar the 1 2 per cent, amalgam is semi-solid at room temperature but is completely fluid at 50°. Two methods of preparation are available. 

Method 2 (Martin, 1942). A mixture of 200 g. of zinc wool, 15 g. of mercuric chloride, 10 ml. of concentrated h3 drochloric acid and 250 ml. of water is stirred or shaken for 5 minutes. The aqueous solution is decanted, and the amalgamated zinc is covered with 150 ml. of water and 200 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The material to be reduced, usually about 0-3-0-4 mole, is then added immediately, and the reaction is commenced. 

Aliphatic hydrocarbons can be prepared by the reduction of the readily accessible ketones with amalgamated zinc and concentrated hydrochloric acid (Clemmensen method of reduction). This procedure is particularly valuable for the prep>aration of hydrocarbons wdth an odd number of carbon atoms where the Wurtz reaction cannot be applied with the higher hydrocarbons some secondary alcohol is produced, which must be removed by repeated distillation from sodium. 

Acetone is reduced by amalgamated magnesium largely to a bimolecu lar reduction product, tetramethylethylene glycol or plnacol (CHjjjClOHjClOHjiCHj), some isopropyl alcohol is also formed ... 

Pinacol possesses the unusual property of forming a crystalline hexahydrate, m.p. 45°, and the pinacol is separated in this form from the unreacted acetone and the tsopropyl alcohol. The magnciaium is conveniently amalgamated by dissolving mercuric chloride in a portion of the acetone mercury is then liberated by the reaction ... 

Commercial xanthhydrol may be used, but the pure white product, m.p. 120-121°, obtained by the reduction of xanthone with sodium amalgam (Section VII,16) gives better results. 

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