MOST MATERIALS ARE MIXTURES

Earth s atmosphere is a mixture of gaseous elements and compounds. Some of them are shown here. 

So far, you have learned about three kinds of matter elements, compounds, and mixtures. Which box below contains only an element Which contains only a compound Which contains a mixture  

Was this your answer The molecules in box A each contain two different types of atoms and so are representative of a compound. The molecules in box B each consist of the same atoms and so are representative of an element. Box C is a mixture of the compound and the element. 

Note how the molecules of the compound and those of the element remain intact in the mixture. That is, upon the formation of the mixture, there is no exchange of atoms between the components. 

The components of mixtures can be separated from one another by taking advantage of differences in the components physical properties. A mixture of solids and liquids, for example, can be separated using filter paper through which the liquids pass but the solids do not. This is how coffee is often made the caffeine and flavor molecules in the hot water pass through the filter and into the coffee pot while the solid coffee grounds remain behind. This method of separating a solid-liquid mixture is called filtration and is a common technique used by chemists. 

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So far, we have discussed only pure substances. However, most materials are neither pure elements nor pure compounds, and so they are not substances in the technical sense of the term (Section A) they are mixtures of these simpler substances, with one substance mingled with another. For example, air, hlood, and seawater are mixtures. A medicine, such as a cough syrup, is often a mixture of various ingredients that has been formulated to achieve an overall biological effect. Much the same can be said of a perfume. 

Ketone Peroxides. These materials are mixtures of compounds with hydroperoxy groups and are composed primarily of the two structures shown in Table 2. Ketone peroxides are marketed as solutions in inert solvents such as dimethyl phthalate. They are primarily employed in room-temperature-initiated curing of unsaturated polyester resin compositions (usually containing styrene monomer) using transition-metal promoters such as cobalt naphthenate. Ketone peroxides contain the hydroperoxy (—OOH) group and thus are susceptible to the same hazards as hydroperoxides. By far the most popular commercial ketone peroxide is methyl ethyl ketone peroxide [1338-23-4]. Smaller quantities of ketone peroxides such as methyl isobutyl ketone peroxide [28056-59-9], cyclohexanone peroxide [12262-58-7], and 2,4-pentanedione peroxide [37187-22-7] are used commercially (47). 

Most natural materials are mixtures of pure substances. 

Large quantities of butane are shipped under contract standards rather than under national or worldwide specifications. Most of the petrochemical feedstock materials are sold at purity specifications of 95—99.5 mol %. Butane and butane—petroleum mixtures intended for fuel use are sold worldwide under specifications defined by the Gas Processors Association, and the specifications and test methods have been pubHshed (28). Butanes may be readily detected by gas chromatography. Butanes commonly are stored in caverns (29) or refrigerated tanks. 

The earliest mention of an ammonium carbonate, salt of hartshorn, appears in English manuscripts of the 14th century. As the name implies, the material was obtained by dry distillation of animal waste such as horn, leather, and hooves. Although many salts have been described in the Hterature for the ternary NH —CO2—H2O system, most, except for ammonium bicarbonate [1066-33-7], NH HCO, ammonium carbonate [506-87-6], (NH 2 02, and ammonium carbamate [1111-78-0], NH4CO2NH2, are mixtures (5,6). 

There are no natural sources of pyridine compounds that are either a single pyridine isomer or just one compound. For instance, coal tar contains a mixture of bases, mosdy aLkylpyridines, in low concentrations. Few commercial synthetic methods produce a single pyridine compound, either most produce a mixture of aLkylpyridines, usually with some pyridine (1). Those that produce mono- or disubstituted pyridines as principal components also usually make a mixture of isomeric compounds along with the desired material. 

Most waxes are complex mixtures of molecules with different carbon lengths, stmctures, and functionaHty. Attempts to measure the exact chemical composition are extremely difficult, even for the vegetable waxes, which are based on a relatively few number of basic molecules. Products such as oxidised microcrystaHine wax not only have a mixture of hydrocarbon lengths and types as starting materials, but also add complexity through the introduction of various types of carboxyHc functionaHty onto those hydrocarbons during the oxidation process. 

Most masonry cements are finely iaterground mixtures where Portland cement is a principal constituent. These cements also iaclude finely grouad limestones, hydrated lime, aatural cement, po22olans, clays, or air-entraining ageats. Secoadary materials are used to impart the required water reteatioa and plasticity to mortars. 

Clays composed of mixtures of clay minerals having from 20—50% of unsorted fine-grain nonclay materials are most satisfactory. Large amounts of iron, alkaHes, and alkaline earths, either in the clay minerals or as other constituents, cause too much shrinkage and greatiy reduce the vitrification range thus, a clay with a substantial amount of calcareous material is not desirable. Face bricks, which are of superior quaHty, are made from similar materials but it is even more desirable to avoid these detrimental components (see Building materials, survey). 

Pieces of coal are mixtures of materials somewhat randomly distributed in differing amounts. The mineral matter can be readily distinguished from the organic, which is itself a mixture. Coal properties reflect the individual constituents and the relative proportions. By analogy to geologic formations, the macerals are the constituents that correspond to minerals that make up individual rocks. For coals, macerals, which tend to be consistent in their properties, represent particular classes of plant parts that have been transformed into coal (40). Most detailed chemical and physical studies of coal have been made on macerals or samples rich in a particular maceral, because maceral separation is time consuming. 

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