Preparation of soluble salts

- Soluble salts can be prepared by three main methods, by:

i. Direct combination (if the salt needed is anhydrous)
ii. Reacting acid with metal, insoluble carbonate or insoluble base
iii. Reacting a soluble base (alkali) and an acid, i.e., titration

1) Direct combination
In this method the soluble salt can be prepared by reacting a metal and a non-metal directly with
each other. Simple ions such as metal chlorides (anhydrous) can be formed this way in the absence
of water.

2) Reaction of acids with…

A. Reactive metals
HCl(aq) + Mg(s) MgCl2 + H2(g)

B. Insolube carbonate
HNO3(aq) + CaCO3(s) Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)

C. Insoluble base
CuO + H2SO4 (aq) CuSO4(aq) + H2O(l)

In the reaction, the salt formed will only be pure if reaction has reached completion and no
acid remains. One way to achieve this is by using a reactant which is insoluble. The reactant
is added to the acid until some remains. This indicates there is no more acid left for the
reactant to react with and, since it is insoluble, the excess will remain undissolved in the
solution of salt.

METHOD FOR PREPARING SOLUBLE SALTS

1) Choose the appropriate reactive metal, insoluble carbonate or insoluble base to provide cations
and appropriate acid to provide anions.
2) Place the acid into a beaker and add the metal, insoluble carbonate or base until excess solid
remains and effervescence stops if a metal or carbonate is used. This indicates that all the acid
has reacted. Heating may be required to speed up the reaction when using a metal or base.
3) Dip a piece of blue litmus paper into the solution to ensure all the acid has reacted. The litmus
should remain blue.
4) Remove the excess, unreacted solid by filtration.
5) Collect the filtrate and evaporate the water over a beaker of boiling water. If a hydrated salt is
required, evaporate some of the water to concentrate the solution and leave the concentrated
solution to crystalize.

3) Titration
Soluble salts from potassium, sodium and ammonium cannot be prepared by methods 1 and 2 for
two main reasons. Firstly, potassium and sodium react violently making the reactions too dangerous.
Secondly, potassium, sodium and ammonium salts are all soluble so when the reaction has reached
completion and no more acid remains, the excess solid dissolves and solution of the salt will not be
pure.

Potassium, sodium and ammonium salts can be prepared by adding an acid to an aqueous alkali until
the solution is just neutral, indicating that the reaction has reached completion. This can be
accomplished by using a color change of an indicator to determine the neutralization point. This
technique is known as titration.
Titration is technique use to determine the exact volume of acid needed to neutralize a fixed volume
of aqueous alkali.

METHOD
1) Choose an appropriate alkali or soluble carbonate to provide cations and an appropriate acid to
supply anions.
2) Measure a fixed volume of aqueous alkali or carbonate using a pipette. Run it into a conical flask
and add a few drops of indicator solution, e.g, phenolphthalein.
3) Place the acid in burette and take the initial burette reading.
4) Add the acid to the aqueous alkali or carbonate until the neutralization point has reached.
5) Take the final burette reading and determine the volume of acid added.
6) Repeat the titration until you have three volume of acid within 0.1 cm3 of each other. Average these
volumes to determine the volume of acid needed.
7) Add this volume of acid to the fixed volume of aqueous alkali or carbonate without an indicator.
8) Evaporate the water from the solution.

Summary of salt preparation

The flow chart below summarizes the methods that you may choose when preparing a salt.

Class work.
1. Explain the difference between acid salt and normal salt
2. What is water of crystallization
3. Name the most appropriate method for preparing each of the following salts. In each case, name the two
compounds you would choose to prepare the salt and write a balance chemical equation for the reaction
a. Magnesium chloride
b. Anhydrous iron (III) chloride
c. Lead (II) sulfate
d. Potassium nitrate
4. Describe, in full details how you would prepare magnesium carbonate staring with magnesium nitrate.

HW (make sure you study them too! To be collected. DUE January 19, 2018
1. Describe how we use the following salts in our everyday lives:
a. Calcium sulfate
b. Sodium hydrogen carbonate
c. Magnesium sulfate
d. Sodium nitrate
2. Give 3 dangers of salts.