EXPERIMENT NO.

12
PREPARATION OF POTASSIUM ALUM FROM ALUMINUM CANS

An alum is a hydrated double sulfate salt of a monovalent cation and a trivalent

cation. The general formula of alum is:

M+1M+3(SO4)2.12H2O

Where M+1 is commonly Na+1, K+1, Ti+1, NH4+1, or Ag+1

M+3 is commonly Al3+, Fe3+, Cr3+, Ti3+, or Co3+

The most common alums are sodium aluminum sulfate dodecahydrate (sodium,
alum, NaAl(SO4)2.12H2O), used in baking powders because upon hydrolysis, an acid is
produced that reacts with the baking soda; potassium aluminum sulfate dodecahydrate
(alum or potassium alum, KAl(SO4)2.12H2O), used in water purification, on sewage
treatment, and in fire extinguishers; ammonium aluminum sulfate dodecahydrate
(ammonium alum, NH4Al(SO4)2.12H2O), used in pickling cucumbers, etc. The various
alums crystallize from solution as octahedrally-shaped crystals that are all isomorphous,
i.e., that all have the same crystal structure.

Chemical Equations:

2Al + 2K+ + 2OH- + 6H20 2K+ + 2Al(OH)4 + 3H2

2K+ + 2Al(OH)4 + 3H2SO4 2K+ + 2Al3+ + 8SO42- + 4H20

K+ + Al+3 + 2SO42- + 12H20 KAl(SO4)2 . 12H2O

Instructions:

1. Bring your own aluminum can (from canned softdrinks). Scrape the paint off the
can.
2. For the pre-lab computations, compute for the amount of:
1. Aluminum / potassium hydroxide (grams)
2. Equivalent amount of potassium hydroxide solution (mL)
3. Amount of sulfuric acid (grams)
4. Equivalent amount of 9M sulfuric acid (grams)
5. Theoretical yield of potassium alum
Procedure:
1. Weigh about 1g of aluminum scrap, cut it into very small pieces and put these in
a 250mL Erlenmeyer flask.
2. Add 50mL of potassium hydroxide solution (80grams / liter).
“BE CAREFUL NOT TO SPLATTER THE SOLUTION.”
3. Heat the Erlenmeyer flask gently over a small flame. At this point, hydrogen will
be evolved copiously. After 10 minutes, the aluminum should be mostly dissolved
except for small amounts of impurities.
4. Heat until the fizzing around each piece stops. If the liquid level drops to one-
fourth of the original, add water to bring the level back to the original level of
liquid. This may be done several times before all the chips are dissolved.
5. Remove the flask from the flame and use a glass stirring rod to remove any bits
of remaining solids. If the solution still contains suspended solids, filter it while
hot through a thin layer of the glass wool.
6. Allow the solution to cool and stir occasionally. The clear solution is then acidified
by the slow and careful addition of 20mL of 9M H2SO4. The acidification should
be accompanied by continuous stirring. After sulfuric acid has been added, the
solution still contains large lumps of aluminum hydroxide.
7. The reaction mixture (from no.7) is heated gently for about 10 minutes or until the
aluminum hydroxide dissolves. After the solution has become clear, it is removed
from the heat, filtered (only if the solid is present), and cooled in an ice bath for
20 minutes.
8. The crystals are collected and washed with 50/50 ethanol-water mixture (in which
the alum is not very soluble).
9. Dry the crystals by pressing in-between sheets of bond paper.
10. After drying, weigh the crystals and compute for the percentage yield of the
product.
11. Dissolve a few grams of the product in water and perform the following
identification tests; to a few mL of the solution add:
a. Sodium bitartrate TS and a little ethanol
b. Ammonia TS, a few drops, then in excess
c. Sodium hydroxide TS, a little, then in excess
d. Barium chloride TS. Divide the precipitate obtained in two portions:
1. One portion, add HCl
2. Second portion, add HNO3
Group No.: Date:
Group member/Assigned task: 3.
1. 4.
2. 5.

EXPERIMENT NO. 12

PREPARATION OF POTASSIUM ALUM FROM ALUMINUM CANS

DATA AND RESULTS:

Computed amount of the following:

a. Aluminum / potassium hydroxide ___10___grams

b. Equivalent amount of potassium hydroxide solution ___500__mL
c. Amount of sulfuric acid ________grams
d. Equivalent amount of 9M sulfuric acid ________grams
e. Theoretical yield of potassium alum ________grams
f. Percentage yield of potassium alum ________grams

Approximate actual yield of potassium alum = 45.78grams

Calculations:

Starting materials specific gravity volume weight MW

Aluminum _________ _____ 10g ______

KOH _________ 500mL _______ ____

a. Compute for the theoretical weight (yield) of potassium alum

b. Compute for the % yield of potassium alum

Schematic diagram on the preparation of POTASSIUM ALUM FROM ALUMINUM
CANS

Questions:
1. Give the complete chemical reaction involved in the preparation of potassium
alum.
2. What is a “true alum?”
3. What are two official alums? Give their uses?