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Chapter - 8

Some Important Metals and their Compounds

Dr. Thazin Lwin
Learning Objectives

 Extraction of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, group III, and group IV metal
 Physical and chemical properties
Reactivity decreases, extraction becomes easier

 Preparation of compounds

Metals Activity Series

 Very important for the national - An arbitrary arrangement of
economy of any country. metals
 Widely used in our everyday life. - Increasing order of ease to
 Study of metals & their extract
compounds one of the most - Decreasing order of reactivity
important areas of chemistry.

Activity Series

K
Na - Very reactive
Ca - Never found as free element
Mg - Extracted by electrolysis
Al
Zn - Moderately reactive
Fe - Found as oxides, carbonates or sulphides
Pb - Extracted by reduction reaction

Cu
Hg - Not very reactive
Ag - May be found in nature as free element
Au

- Occurrence
Group I Sodium, Potassium - Extraction
- Occurrence
II Magnesium, Calcium - Uses
- Extraction
III Aluminium
IV Lead - Uses- Properties
- Compounds
- Properties
- Compounds
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Occurrence
Sodium, Potassium
- Chloride (sodium chloride NaCl-common salt, potassium chloride KCl-
carnallite)
- Soda feldspar (Na2O.Al2O3.6SiO2), sodium carbonate (washing soda),
sodium nitrate (Chile salt-petre), potassium carbonate, potassium nitrate

Magnesium
- Oxide, carbonate, sulphate, chloride, silicate
- Chloride/Sulphate as constituent of sea water and of deep well
brines
Calcium
- Carbonate, sulphate, fluoride, silicate
- Limestone, Chalk (CaCO3)
Aluminium
- Silicate in rocks and clays
- Oxide (bauxite)
Lead
- Lead (II) sulphide (PbS) (galena)
- Myanmar is one of the world's largest producers of lead ore.

Extraction
Sodium, Potassium
Downs Process (Page-109)

Magnesium

- Large quantities of magnesium are extracted from sea water by

converting the salt to the insoluble magnesium hydroxide and then
heating this to give oxide. The magnesia (magnesium oxide) is
heated with coke in a current of chlorine, to give magnesium
chloride.

MgSO4(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) Mg(OH)2(s) + Na2SO4(aq)

Mg(OH)2(s) MgO(s) + H2O(l)
MgO(s) + C(s) + Cl2(g) MgCl2(s) + CO (g)
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Calcium
- Process Electrolysis
- Raw material fused anhydrous calcium chloride
- Little calcium floride is added to lower the melting point and hence
temperature of fusion.
Cathode – Steel Anode – Graphite
- Molten calcium is produced at cathode.
Chlorine as a byproduct is liberated at anode.
Reaction at cathode Ca2+ + 2ē Ca
Reaction at anode 2Cl -
Cl2 + 2ē
Aluminium

- Process Electrolysis.
- Raw material Fused aluminium oxide.
- Cryolite (Na3AlF6) is added to lower the temperature of fusion.
Electrodes – Graphite
- Aluminium is produced at cathode. Oxygen is liberated at anode.
Cathode – Steel Anode – Graphite
Reaction at cathode 2Al3+ + 6ē 2Al
Reaction at anode 3O2- 3
/2O2 + 6ē
Lead
- Lead is extracted by heating galena ore in air to give oxide which is
then reduced by heating with carbon.
2PbS(s) + 3O2(g) 2PbO(s) + 2SO2(g)
PbO(s) + C(s) Pb(s) + CO(g)
- Alternatively, reduction of galena to lead may take place.
PbS(s) + 3PbO(s) 3Pb(s) + SO2(g)
PbS(s) + PbSO4(s) 2Pb(s) + 2SO2(g)

Uses
Sodium
- Large quantities manufacture of (Na2O2, NaCN, NaNH2).
- Manufacture of tetraethyl lead, an anti-knock additive used in petrol.
Magnesium
- Alloys for engineering construction.
- Ribbon and wire for degassing radio valves (radio industry).

Calcium
- Manufacture of CaH2 (calcium hydride).
- Drying agent in laboratory
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Aluminium
- Chemical, food, dairy and pharmaceutical industries.
- Architectural purposes.
- Foil for packaging of foodstuffs, sweets, cigarettes.
- Alloys for engineering construction.
Lead
- Shield against radioactive material and X-ray
- Car batteries and accumulators
- Alloys (soft solders-lead and tin)
(type metal-lead, antimony, and tin) in printing

Physical Properties
Sodium
- soft metal, cut easily with knife.
- silvery lustre but rapidly tarnishes in moist air.
- good conductor of heat and electricity.

Magnesium
- silvery-white metal with very low density.
- stable in dry air but in moist air becomes coated with oxide film,
prevent further attack by moist air.
Calcium
- soft grey metal.
- become coated with layer of oxide and hydroxide (on exposure to air).
Aluminium
- silvery-white metal.
- high ductility & high malleability.
- high electrical and thermal conductivities.
- oxide is formed (in moist air) on metal surface, prevent further attack
on underlying metal.
Lead

- bluish-grey metal, can be pressed into any form (softest of metal), low
melting point.
- poor conductor of electricity and heat.
- tarnished owing to formation of layer of hydroxide & carbonate (on
exposure to air), prevent further attack.
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Chemical Properties

heated burns readily with bright yellow flame

in air 4Na(s) + O2(g) 2Na2O(s) Sodium monoxide
2Na(s) + O2(g) Na2O2(s) Sodium peroxide

reacts vigorously with water

2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) H2(g) + 2NaOH(aq)

heated at 300-400°C in NH3(g)

2Na(s) + 2NH3(g) 2NaNH2(s) + H2(g)
Sodium
heated combines directly with X2, P, S
halide, phosphide, polysulphide

heated hydride NaH

in H2
dissolves Sodium amalgam Na/Hg
in Hg
reacts
Not to be tested
vigorously
with acid

heated 2Mg(s) + O2(g) 2MgO(s)

in air 3Mg(s) + N2(g) Mg3N2(s)

reacts
Mg(s) + H2O(g) MgO(s) + H2(g)
with steam

reacts with Mg(s) + H2SO4(aq) MgSO4(aq) + H2(g)

dil acid
Magnesium heated combines directly with S, Cl2, P, B, C
Sulphide, chloride, phosphide, boride, carbide
very dil.
H2-evolved
HNO3

Con:HNO3 Oxides of nitrogen

Caustic no reaction
alkali
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heated 2Ca(s) + O2(g) 2CaO(s)

2Ca(s) + N2(g) Ca3N2(s)
in air

reacts with cold water

steadily Ca(s) + 2H2O(l) Ca(OH)2(aq) + H2(aq)

react with acid

Calcium
vigorously Ca(s) + 2HCl(aq) CaCl2(aq) + H2(g)

combines
H2 CaH2
with C CaC2

alkali
no reaction
in H2

react slowly
Pb(s) + 2HCl(aq) PbCl2(aq) + H2(g)
HCl

hot con: Pb(s) + 2H2SO4(con) PbSO4 (s) +

H2SO4 2H2O(l) + SO2(g)

dil HNO3 3Pb(s) + 8HNO3(aq) 3Pb(NO3)2(aq) +

4H2O(l) + 2NO(g)
Lead
con: HNO3 Pb(s) + HNO3(con) Pb(NO3)2(aq) +
2H2O(l) + 2NO2(g)
dil H2SO4
No reaction
water
(cold) sparingly soluble
(hot) soluble
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on heating X2, S, N, C
(halide, sulphide, nitride, carbide)
strong reducing agent
(Gold-Schmidt/Thermite Process)
Iron III oxide
2Al(s) + Fe2O3(s) Al2O3(s) + heat + 2Fe(s)
(dil)
react slowly
2Al(s) + HCl(aq) 2AlCl3(aq) + 3H2(g)
(hot)
Aluminium react vigorously 2Al(s) + 6H2SO4(con;) Al2(SO4)3 (s) +
6H2O(l) + 3SO2(g)
(hot)

HNO3
(dil,con;) react very slowly

Alkali 2Al(s) + 2NaOH(aq) + 6H2O(l)

2NaAl(OH)4(aq) + 3H2(g)
Sodium aluminate
6H2O(l) + 3SO2(g)
Compounds

Sodium Na2O2, Na2O, NaOH, Na2CO3, NaHCO3, NaCl, NaNO3,

Na2SO4, NaHSO4, Na2S2O3

Magnesium MgO, Mg(OH)2, MgCO3, MgSO4

Calcium CaH2, CaC2, CaO, Ca(OH)2, CaCO3, CaCl2, CaSO4,

Ca3(PO4)2

Aluminium Al2O3, Al(OH)3, AlCl3, Al2(SO4)3, K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3. 24H2O

Aluminium PbO. Pb3O4, PbO2, PbCO3, PbCrO4