sodium hydroxide turning into sodium carbonate

[scotchlady]

There is one thing that I missed I have stumbled across that I would not have taken into account.

 

The ideal or theoretical yield of a chemical reaction would be 100%, a value that is impossible to achieve in a practical setting. According to Vogel's Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry, yields around 100% are called quantitative, yields above about 90% are called excellent, yields above about 80% very good, yields above about 70% are called good, yields below about 50% are called fair, yields below about 40% are called poor.[1] Yields may appear to be above 100% when products are impure. Purification steps always lower the yield and the reported yields usually refer to the yield of the final purified product. (this I borrowed from another source)

[scotchlady]

According to what I found in my last post it seems that there still a possibility that that the sodium hydroxide may not have reacted? Am I correct in thinking this...or am I incorrect? Anyone??

 

Thanks,

Jen

[John Cuthber]

While 90% is a good yeild for an organic reaction, it's quite common for inorganic reactions to be practically complete. For example, the reaction between acids and alkalies to produce water goes until there is something like100000000 times more water than acid or alkali.

In effect the reaction is 99.9...% complete.

Since CO2 dissolves in water to make an acid (albeit a weak one) there's essentially no free hydroxide left.

[scotchlady]

Ah, so there is a difference in yield between an inorganic and organic reactions... I have learned something. So, now I have one last inquiry. Does anyone think that the residue (probably mostly sodium carbonate by now as I gather) that would be left on the basement floor poses any harm if you were to come in contact with it?

[scotchlady]

I was just looking for peoples' opinions on it that know more about this stuff than I do. What can I say, considering it started out as NaOH which is nasty stuff it would be natural to be a bit worried about exactly what one may be dealing in any residue that could have been left behind...just freaked out a bit.