UNIVERSITY TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PERAK CAMPUS FACULTY OF SCIENCE

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONS) BIOTECHNOLOGY YEAR 1 SEMESTER 3

UDBB 1114 BASIC CHEMISTRY

Name

: Eu Sin Yee

Student ID

:12ADB07328

Lecturer

: Dr Khoo Kong Soo

Lab Partners

: 1. Chow Suet Yan 2. Catherine Goh

Experiment No : 3

Title

: Preparation And Reactions Of Boric Acid, H3BO3

Objective 1. To prepare and carry out tests on the prepared sample of boric acid. Introduction Boron is an element in p-block of the periodic table. It has the electron configuration 1s22s22p1 and is in Group III (Mendeleev Classification) or in Group 13 (IUPAC classification). In nature, it consist of two isotopes 10B (19.6 %) and 11B (80.4 %). Boron in nature is bonded to oxygen. The important sources of boron are borax and kernite, Na2B4O5(OH)4.nH2O (n = 8 for borax and 2 for kernite). Boron oxides and their derivatives are technologically important and are relatively inexpensive to produce. Essentially all boron in Nature is in oxygenated form. Boron-oxygen compounds contain predominantly trigonal planar BO3, and to a lesser degree tetrahedral BO4 units, as in the borate anions. The B-O bond is quite strong (560-790 kJ mol-1), and boranes and related compounds are thermodynamically unstable relative to B2O3 and B(OH)3. The principal oxide, B2O3, is very difficult to crystallize and normally exists in a glassy state (d=1.83 g cm-1) composed of randomly orientated B2O3 rings with bridging O atoms. In the normal crystalline form, trigonal BO3 linked through their oxygen atoms; at high pressures and temperatures a high density (d=2.56 g cm-3) phase having tetrahedral BO4 being produced. Molten B2O3 (m.p. 450oC) readily dissolves metal oxides to form coloured borate glasses, and this is one of the main commercial uses of boric oxide. In particular, borosilicate glasses find wide applications in glassblowing and the production of glass objects because of their small coefficient of thermal expansion. Hydrolysis of B2O3 generates orthoboric acid (boric acid), B(OH)3, another major commercial product that is manufactured on a scale of hundreds of thousands of tons per year by acidification of aqueous solutions of borax, a naturally occurring mineral.

Apparatus and Materials 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Sodium tetraborate (borax) Water Conc. Hydrochloric acid Suction Ice cold water Electrical heater

Experimental Procedure

Dissolve 10g of sodium tetraborate in 40ml water

Boil and add 5ml conc. hyrochloric acid

Cooling

Filter out crystals adn wash well with ice cold water

Mix half of each in third tube

Repeat using mannitol

Dissolve little boric acid in water and add a drop of methyl reed

Test

Record the yield

Record colour changes

Results and calculations Mass of Sodium Tetraborate Mass of Product : 10.0094g : 6.0181g

Test on boric acid Boric acid + distilled water + methyl red (a) : Turns from colourless to pink Boric acid + distilled water + methyl red (b) : Turns from colourless to methyl red Mixture of a + b : Turns from colourless to bright pink Boric acid + methanol + concentrated sulphuric acid (flame test) : Flame appear to be in green colour, the liquid remaining in the test tube turns from colour to dark brown colour

Weight of sodium tetraborate,Na2B4O7.10H2O (s) (g) = 10.0094g Weight of boric acid, H3BO3(s) produced (g) = 3.9913g

Relative molecular mass of sodium tetraborate = 2(23) + 4(10.81) + 7(16) + 10(2+16) = 381.24

Relative molecular mass of boric acid = 3(1) + 10.81 + 3(16) = 61.81

Number of moles of sodium tetraborate, Na2B4O7.10H2O = Weight of Na2B4O7.10H2O/ Relative molecular mass of Na2B4O7.10H2O = 10.0094g /381.24 = 2.6255 x 10-2 mol

Na2B4O7. 10H2O(s)+ 2HCl(aq)

4 H3BO3(aq)+ 2NaCl(aq)+ 5 H2O(l)

1 mol of tetraborate (Na2B4O7. 10H2O) react with 2 moles of hydrochloric acid (HCl)produce 4 mol of boric acid (H3BO3).

Number of moles of H3BO3 = Number of mol for Na2B4O7. 10H2O x 4 = 2.6628 x 10-2mol x 4 = 1.065 x 10-1mol

Theoretical mass of H3BO3 produced = Number of mol for Boric acid x Relative molecular mass of H3BO3 = ( 1.0672 x 10-1mol ) x 61.81= 6.5953g

Experimental yield of H3BO3 = 3.9913g

Percentage of yield of boric acid = Weight of H3BO3 / Theoritical mass of H3BO3 produced 100% = 3.9913g / 6.5953g 100% = 60.52%

Discussion Boric acid is the acid produced when borax is reacted with acids. In solid form, boric acid exists as crystalline form where the B(OH)3 units are linked together by hydrogen bonds, forming a infinite layers of hexagonal symmetry. The boron atom in boric acid is still not achieving the octet electronic configuration and can still accept an electron pair. In water, boric acid do not dissociate directly in water to form proton, but accept an electron pair form the oxygen atom in water molecule, thus making the whole reaction release hydrogen ions according to the following equation: B(OH)3 (s) + H2O (l) B(OH)4- (aq) + H+ (aq) Since the boric acid is an electron pair acceptor, hence it is a Lewis acid. Boric acid is a weak acid in water. Boric acid can react with an acidified alcohol toproduces B(OR)3, which gives bright green colour of flame when its vapour is ignited. Methyl red is a pH indicator that change colour when the pH change. The pH range of methyl red is from around 4 to 6. At pH 4, methyl red shows red colour and at pH 6 it shows yellow colour. When the methyl red is added to the boric acid solution, the solution turns from colourless to pink colour. This show that boric acid is a weak acid which has pH probably around 5.When the methyl red is added to the mannitol (C6H8(OH)6, the solution turns from colourless to methyl red colour. This show that mannitol is an even weaker acid which has pH probably around 6.When the boric acid is added to the mannitol, the solution turns to pink colour. The boric acid forms a stronger complex acid with mannitol, which has pH probably around 4. Boric acid react with acidified methanol to form B(OCH3)3, which gives green colourflame when its vapour is ignited. Materials such as hydrochloric acid, HCl and sulphuric acid, H2SO4 should be handle with care to prevent any unwanted accident to happen since these materials are very corrosive. The flame test was carried out in vacuum incubator as the vapour release from the test tube might be toxic. Two layers of filter paper were used as the suction pump is too powerful and might cause the filter paper to puncture if only one layer was used. Watch glass was used while weighing the boric acid on the analytical balance to prevent boric acid to spill on the pan.

Conclusion The experimental yield of boric acid, H3BO3 is 3.9913g.

References Martin S. Silberberg, Chemistry the Molecular Nature of Matter and Change , F i f t h Edition, McGraw Hill, 2005. F. Albert Cotton, Geoffrey Wilkinson, Carlos A. Murillo, and Manfred Bochmann, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, Sixth edition, John Wiley& Son.1999. F. Albert Cotton, Geoffrey Wilkinson, Paul L. Gaus, Basic Inorganic Chemistry, ThirdEdition, John Wiley& Son.1995.John C. Kotz, Paul M. Treichel, and Gabriela C. Weaver,Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity, Sixth Edition, Thomson 2006.

Questions: 1. Draw the structure of all possible borate anions.

2.

Find out the properties and structure of boric acid. Boric acid molecular formula is H3BO3 ,molar mass is 61.83g mol -1 and 1.435g/cm 3 density. In solid form, boric acid exists as crystalline form where the B(OH)3 units are linked together by hydrogen bonds. Boric acid melting point is 170.9C while boiling point is 300C. boric acid is soluble in water ,soluble in lower alcohol in pyridine and slightly soluble in acetone. Boric acid acidity is 9.24. Structure of boric acid is:

This is the two-dimensional chemical structure of boric acid, also known as boracic acid or orthoboric acid.molecular shape is trogonal plannar and has zero dipole moment. Boric acid is a weak acid that is used as a disinfectant, insecticide, and flame retardant, among other uses.

3.

How do you convert boric acid to boric oxide? Boric oxide is formed by strong heating of boric acid. Boric acid is dehydrated on heating. The conversion of boric acid to boric oxide is not direct. The heating of boric acid will generates a metaboric acid (HBO2) first. Further heating of the metaboric acid will then dehydrate to boric oxide. The conversion of boric acid to boric oxide occurred stage by stage.