Potassium-lead alloys

Reaction of finely divided lead with a nonoxidized surface [321, 352] or of a lead-sodium or lead-potassium alloy [274] with C2H4 and H2 in an autoclave gives Pb(C2H5)4, however, only in very low yield [274, 321, 352]. 

The most commonly used Hquid metal is sodium—potassium eutectic. Sodium, potassium, bismuth, lithium, and other sodium—potassium alloys also are used. Mercury, lead, and lead—bismuth eutectic have also been used however, these are all highly toxic and appHcation has thus been restricted. 

Sodium amalgam is employed ia the manufacture of sodium hydroxide sodium—potassium alloy, NaK, is used ia heat-transfer appHcations and sodium—lead alloy is used ia the manufacture of tetraethyllead and tetramethyUead, and methylcyclopentadienylmanganesetricarbonyl, a gasoline additive growing ia importance for improving refining efficiency and octane contribution. 

Quinoline Salicylic acid Silicon Dinitrogen tetroxide, linseed oil, maleic anhydride, thionyl chloride Iodine, iron salts, lead acetate Alkali carbonates, calcium, chlorine, cobalt(II) fluoride, manganese trifluoride, oxidants, silver fluoride, sodium-potassium alloy... 

Nuclear and magneto-hydrodynamic electric power generation systems have been produced on a scale which could lead to industrial production, but to-date technical problems, mainly connected with corrosion of the containing materials, has hampered full-scale development. In the case of nuclear power, the proposed fast reactor, which uses fast neutron fission in a small nuclear fuel element, by comparison with fuel rods in thermal neutron reactors, requires a more rapid heat removal than is possible by water cooling, and a liquid sodium-potassium alloy has been used in the development of a near-industrial generator. The fuel container is a vanadium sheath with a niobium outer cladding, since this has a low fast neutron capture cross-section and a low rate of corrosion by the liquid metal coolant. The liquid metal coolant is transported from the fuel to the turbine generating the electric power in stainless steel... 

Individually indexed alloys or intermetallic compounds are Aluminium amalgam, 0051 Aluminium-copper-zinc alloy, 0050 Aluminium-lanthanum-nickel alloy, 0080 Aluminium-lithium alloy, 0052 Aluminium-magnesium alloy, 0053 Aluminium-nickel alloys, 0055 Aluminium-titanium alloys, 0056 Copper-zinc alloys, 4268 Ferromanganese, 4389 Ferrotitanium, 4391 Lanthanum-nickel alloy, 4678 Lead-tin alloys, 4883 Lead-zirconium alloys, 4884 Lithium-magnesium alloy, 4681 Lithium-tin alloys, 4682 Plutonium bismuthide, 0231 Potassium antimonide, 4673 Potassium-sodium alloy, 4646 Silicon-zirconium alloys, 4910... 

The distillation of ethers from lithium aluminum hydride occasionally leads to an explosion. The exact cause is not known, but C02 may be involved. The danger can be minimized by predrying the ether with calcium hydride and then using a minimum amount of LiAlH for final distillation. Also, the distillation should be performed behind a blast shield, and the still pot should never be allowed to go dry. Frequently, a safe but powerful desiccant, such as benzophenone ketyl or sodium-potassium alloy, may be used in place of LiAIH4. 

Lead—tin alloys, 4877 Lead—zirconium alloys, 4878 Lithium—magnesium alloy, 4676 Lithium—tin alloys, 4677 Plutonium bismuthide, 0231 Potassium antimonide, 4668 Potassium—sodium alloy, 4641 Silicon—zirconium alloys, 4904 Silver—aluminium alloy, 0002 Silvered copper, 0003 Sodium germanide, 4412 Sodium—antimony alloy, 4791 Sodium—zinc alloy, 4792 Titanium—zirconium alloys, 4915... 

Another important coupling reaction uses esters as the electron-accepting species and leads to a-hydroxy ketones (acyloin coupling). Sodium, potassium (less frequently) or sodium-potassium alloys are commonly used as electron donors in nonpolar solvents such as toluene or xylene. The first detectable reaction intermediate after the primary reductive step is the enediolate which can be trapped with tri-alkylsilyl chloride. This method is widely used to synthesize highly nucleophilic alkenes and/or protected acyloins (Scheme 12) [50, 51]. 

The metals are employed in a variety of alloys. Lithium generally hardens and strengthens, but also causes embrittlement from 0.05 to 0.1% is used in Al, Zn and Mg alloys. Sodium is an important additive to lead such an alloy is the basis of the manufacture of lead tetraethyl, and another, containing 0.6% Na, 0.6% Ca and 0.05% Li, is a bearing metal. Ternary alloys of caesium with aluminium and either barium or strontium are used in photoelectric cells. Liquid sodium or sodium-potassium alloy is employed to transfer heat from the core of certain atomic reactors, e.g. Dounreay fast breeder. 

In the presence of TMS-Cl the enediolate dianion and, importantly, the alkoxide ions, are trapped as their neutral silyl ethers (Scheme 5). This leads to much improved yields of the coupled product the acyloin is isolated in the form of its silyl enediol ether (3). Work-up is much easier. It is only necessary to filter the solution, evaporate the solvent, and isolate the product by distillation or chromatography. The TMS-Cl should be purified by distillation from calcium hydride, under a nitrogen or argon atmosphere, before use. A convenient procedure when using an organic solvent is to add the ester and the TMS-Cl together, dropwise, to the alkali metal finely dispersed in the solvent, at a rate sufficient to maintain the reaction. An explosion has been reported where this procedure was not followed. For a reaction conducted in liquid ammonia the TMS-Cl is added at the end of the reaction and after all the ammonia has been allowed to evaporate. Particularly in cases where sodium-potassium alloy has been used, a pyrophoric residue may have formed, so that the filtration must be carried out under an inert atmosphere. 

A combination of the alternative pathways illustrated in Schemes 13 and 15 explains why the derivative of dimethyl fra 5-cyclohexane-l,2-dicarboxylate (22) fails to give any of the silylated coupled enediol even at 25 °C, using sodium-potassium alloy in benzene, thermal rearrangement to an octa-1,3-diene occurs, whereas use of sodium in liquid ammonia, at -78 °C, cleaves the bond joining the two functionalized carbon atoms, leading to dimethyl 2,7-dimethyloctane-l,8-dioate. ... 

In a reinvestigation of the reaction of Schlenk and Bergmann, Miller and Boyer 64) found that reaction of 1,1,3-triphenylindene with sodium or sodium-potassium alloy in THF gave, after addition of water, 1,2,3-triphenylindane (rather than the indene). These workers suggest that the reaction likely proceeds via the radical anion 95 which by [1,2] migration of phenyl gives a more stable o-quinodimethane anion radical % which upon reduction leads to the dianion 97. Evidently in THF hydride loss from 97 is slower than in diethyl ether, where 99 is formed prior to... 

Potassium or sodium-potassium alloy mixed with ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate results in explosion (NFPA 1986). Violent reactions may occur when a metal such as aluminum, magnesium, copper, cadmium, zinc, cobalt, nickel, lead, chromium, bismuth, or antimony in powdered form is mixed with fused ammonium nitrate. An explosion may occur when the mixture above is subjected to shock. A mixture with white phosphorus or sulfur explodes by percussion or shock. It explodes when heated with carbon. Mixture with concentrated acetic acid ignites on warming. Many metal salts, especially the chromates, dichromates, and chlorides, can lower the decomposition temperature of ammonium nitrate. For example, presence of 0.1% CaCb, NH4CI, AICI3, or FeCb can cause explosive decomposition at 175°C (347°F). Also, the presence of acid can further catalyze the decomposition of ammonium nitrate in presence of metal sulfides. 

Light retards the reactions of PbNa and of lead-sodium-potassium alloys with C2H5CI and this effect is increased by addition of water to the gas phase. Reaction products are assumed to impede penetration of light to the reacting surface of the alloy [267]. The gases produced in the reaction of lead-sodium alloys with ethyl halides contain, aside from C2H6 as the main product, C2H4, n-butane, propane, and minor amounts of other... 

Sodium nitrate is also used in formulations of heat-transfer salts for he at-treatment baths for alloys and metals, mbber vulcanization, and petrochemical industries. A mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate is used to capture solar energy (qv) to transform it into electrical energy. The potential of sodium nitrate in the field of solar salts depends on the commercial development of this process. Other uses of sodium nitrate include water (qv) treatment, ice melting, adhesives (qv), cleaning compounds, pyrotechnics, curing bacons and meats (see Food additives), organics nitration, certain types of pharmaceutical production, refining of some alloys, recovery of lead, and production of uranium. 

Next to the formation of Grignard reagents, the most important application of this reaction is the conversion of alkyl and aryl halides to organolithium compounds, but it has also been carried out with many other metals, (e.g., Na, Be, Zn, Hg, As, Sb, and Sn). With sodium, the Wurtz reaction (10-93) is an important side reaction. In some cases, where the reaction between a halide and a metal is too slow, an alloy of the metal with potassium or sodium can be used instead. The most important example is the preparation of tetraethyl lead from ethyl bromide and a Pb—Na alloy. 

Its oxidising character plays a role in all other reactions. Surprisingly, it is thought to form explosive dichlorine oxide with chlorine. It leads to a and very exothermic reaction with disulphur dichloride and detonations with metals potassium, K-Na alloy, magnesium with phosphorus and anhydrous or hydrated hydrazine. 

Sodium alloys, 22 760, 779-780, 764 with aluminum, 22 780 with gold, 22 780 with lead, 22 779-780 with potassium, 22 777, 779, 780 with zinc, 22 780... 

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