Determination of sodium methoxide content
Thread Content
After adding flaky sodium hydroxide to 95% methanol and allowing the reaction to proceed at room temperature, how can the content of sodium methoxide be determined without dehydrating the mixture?
Excess methanol will react with sodium hydroxide, releasing heat
Utilize the weak basicity of sodium methoxide to neutralize and titrate with an acid
The problem has been resolved; adding sodium hydroxide to methanol is merely a dissolution process that releases heat, with no chemical reaction occurring and no sodium methoxide being formed
Reply to 4# wfei2008: Sodium alkoxide is generally produced by reacting metallic sodium with an alcohol. If sodium hydroxide can react with methanol, water will be produced; however, sodium methoxide undergoes hydrolysis in the presence of water, so no reaction occurs.
It is a positive reaction; it simply reaches a certain equilibrium condition. The water produced by the reaction inhibits further reaction, so an additional reaction tower is needed to remove the water using anhydrous methanol vapor, thereby ensuring the reaction proceeds to completion. Generally, a 30% sodium methoxide methanol solution is produced as a result. It is then further evaporated to become the final product.