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CH450 Assignment 1 2022 Feb

This document contains an assignment for an Advanced Inorganic Chemistry course. It includes 4 questions related to industrial inorganic chemistry processes. Question 1 involves the chlor-alkali process and asks students to write equations, describe how chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide are separated, and discuss environmental and safety considerations. Question 2 focuses on sulfuric acid production via wet and contact processes. Question 3 compares acid leaching and froth flotation copper ore processing methods. Question 4 examines the Haber process for ammonia synthesis and requires stating reaction conditions and explaining their choice.

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Chisama Sichone
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40 views

CH450 Assignment 1 2022 Feb

This document contains an assignment for an Advanced Inorganic Chemistry course. It includes 4 questions related to industrial inorganic chemistry processes. Question 1 involves the chlor-alkali process and asks students to write equations, describe how chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide are separated, and discuss environmental and safety considerations. Question 2 focuses on sulfuric acid production via wet and contact processes. Question 3 compares acid leaching and froth flotation copper ore processing methods. Question 4 examines the Haber process for ammonia synthesis and requires stating reaction conditions and explaining their choice.

Uploaded by

Chisama Sichone
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CH450 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

Assignment 1 Due: Thursday, February, 17, 2022

School Of Mathematics and Natural Sciences


Chemistry Department, The Copperbelt University

Work in Groups of about 2 or as assigned. Each member must participate equally.


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Question 1: 20 points Industrial Inorganic Chemistry II

The chlor-alkali industry is the second largest consumer of electricity among electrolytic
industries. It makes use of brine as electrolyte to produce chlorine gas, hydrogen gas and sodium
hydroxide, as depicted in the diagram below.

The overall reaction can be represented by the following equation:

a) Write down a half-reaction that explains the formation of hydrogen gas and chlorine gas at the
respective electrodes. (6pts)

b) The purity of the sodium hydroxide produced in the chlor-alkali industry depends on the
extent to which it is separated from the chlorine gas produced by this cell. Briefly describe how
chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide are prevented from mixing in this cell. (5pts)

c) The chlor-alkali industry is sometimes blamed for contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Explain how the above cell contributes to the greenhouse effect. (3pts)

d) Discuss why it is not advisable to build a chloralkali plant close to a residential area. (3pts)

e) Explain why this electrolytic process cannot be done in one large container without a (3pts)
membrane.

f) Apart from its use in household products, name three industrial uses of chlorine. (3pts)
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Question 2: 15 points Industrial Inorganic Chemistry I

(a) There are the main ways of making sulphuric acid namely the Contact process; the wet
sulphuric acid process. Briefly, describe how sulphuric acid is commercially produced by
(include balanced essential equations):

The Wet Sulphuric Acid Process (5pts)

(b) Explain why the Wet Sulphuric Acid Process is considered as a desulfurization process in
remediating sulphur emissions. (3pts)

(c) However, the Contact Process still remains the widely used method of producing sulphuric
acid. Why is this the case? (5pts)

(e) State four uses of sulphuric acid. (2pts)


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Question 3 Metallurgical Processing

a) Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore (less than 1%
copper) and ends with sheets of 99.99% pure copper cathodes. The most common types of
ore, malachite (copper oxide) and chalcopyrite (copper sulfide) undergo two different
processes as shown below.

i) Distinguish between acid leaching and froth flotation methods of concentrating an ore. (6pts)
ii) Explain why malachite is processed by acid leaching while chalcopyrite uses the froth
flotation process. (8pts)
Question 4: 20 points Industrial Inorganic Chemistry: Haber Process

a). The Haber Process combines nitrogen from the air with hydrogen derived mainly from
natural gas (methane) into ammonia. The reaction is reversible and the production of ammonia is
exothermic.

With a balanced equation, state the following conditions for the reaction:
i) Proportion of nitrogen to hydrogen (9Pts)
ii) Temperature
iii) Pressure
iv) Catalyst

b). There are a number of ways that the choice of conditions affects the process:
• their effect on the position of equilibrium;
• their effect on the rate of the reaction;
• their effect on the economics of the process.

By considering each of these, explain the choice of the conditions you gave in question (a) with
respect to (6Pts)
i) The choice of temperature;
ii) The choice of pressure;
ii) The use of the catalyst.

c) Explain one good use of ammonia and one adverse effect on the environmental due to
ammonia related products

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