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Preparation of Hydrogen - General Methods
1. General methods - From cold water and metals
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Metals react with cold water to form metal hydroxide and liberate hydrogen gas.
Reactions:
2K + 2H2') - 2KOH + H2f
2Na + 2H2') - 2Na0H + H2t
Ca+ 2H2'>- Ca(OH)2 + H2f
2. General methods - From boiling water/steam and metals
Magnesium Mg+ H20 - MgO+ H2f Mg, Al, Zn and Fe do not react with
lboilina water} cold water. They react with boiling
Aluminium 2AI + H20 - N2'>3 + 3H2t water and liberate hydrogen gas, but
tsteam) the reaction is very slow.
Zinc Zn+ H20 - ZnO + H2f Mg, Al, Zn and Fe react with hot steam
(steam) in the heated slate and form the
~on Fe+ 4H2') - FeJO_. + 4H 2 f corresponding oxide and hydrogen gas.
(steam) Iron reacts with steam , and the reaction
is reversible.
3. General methods - From acids
4. General methods - From concentrated alkalis
Alumrlium 2AJ + 6NaOH - 2Na:AI03 +3 H:rT
(Sodium aluminate)
2AJ + 2KOH + 2H:r0 - 2KAl0:r +3 H:rf
tPotassium meta aluminate\
Zinc Zn + 2NaOH - Na2ZnO:r + H2f
(Sodium zincate)
Zn + 2KOH - K~n02 + H2T
{Potassium zincatel
Lead Pb+ 2Na0H - Na2Pb02 + H2T
{Sodium olumbatel
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Preparation of Hydrogen - Laboratory Method
Laboratory method by using granulated zinc, dilute hydroch loric acid or dilute sulphuric acid .
Reactions :
Zn + 2HCI ZnCl2 + H2T
(dilute)
Zn + H, so. znso. + H,f
(dilute)
Collection:
Hydrogen gas is collected by the downward displacement of water.
Manufacture of Hydrogen - By the Electrolysis of Water
Hydrogen is commercially obtained by the electrolysis of water.
Water is a poor conductor of electricity. Thus, a less volatile acid such as sulphuric acid is added to water
to make it a good conductor of electricity. This is called acidulated water.
On passing electric cu rrent through this acidulated water, water dissociates.
H, O -= W+OH-
being positively charged, moves towards the cathode (negatively charged electrode) .
At cathode,
H• +e---+ H
H + H - H2
At anode,
ow-e-- o H
OH + OH - H, O + 0
0+0 - 0 2
Hence, water dissociates to give hydrogen and oxygen by passing an electric current through acidulated
water.
2H 20 - 2H 2 + 0 2
Bosch Process
The Bosch process consists of the following steps.
Step 1:
Steam is passed over hot coke (at 1000°C) in a special type of furnace called a converter to form carbon
monoxide and hydrogen gas. This mixture is called water gas.
1000°c
C + 11,0 ---> CO + H,
White Super (Equ1volumem1xrure
hot charcoal heated steam ofCOandll, )
(Wat<rgas)
Step 2:
Excess of steam is mixed with water gas, and the entire mixture is passed over heated ferric oxide and
chromic oxide . Ferric oxide acts as a catalyst and chromic oxide as a promoter.
Waterc;JaS
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Step 3:
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In this step, carbon dioxide is removed from the reaction mixture. The mixture of carbon dioxide and
hydrogen is forced through cold water under pressure at 30 atmospheric pressure or through caustic
potash solution , which dissolves carbon dioxide leaving behind hydrogen gas.
!
2KOH + CO2 - K2CO3 + H, O
Step 4:
In this last step, the mixture is passed through ammoniacal solution of cuprous chloride solution so as to
dissolve carbon monoxide. Thus, hydrogen gas is obtained .
I CuCI +CO+ 2H, O - CuCI.CO.2H, O
Physical Properties of Hydrogen
• Colourless, odourless and tasteless gas.
• Non-poisonous.
• Solubility is very low.
• It can be liquefied .
• Vapour density is 1, much lighter than air.
Chemical Properties of Hydrogen
• It is neutral to litmus.
• It is combustible but does not support combustion .
• Nascent hydrogen : Fresh hydrogen formed at the time of generation is called nascent hydrogen.
• Reaction with oxygen
Hydrogen bums with a pop sound in oxygen and burns with a pale blue flame forming water.
2H 2 + 0 2 - 2H 2O
• Reaction with Chlorine
H, + Cl, Su,liih• ) 2HCI
• Reaction with Hydrogen (Haber process)
Three volumes of hydrogen and one volume of nitrogen react at temperature 450-Soo•c at a pressure
of 200-900 atm in the presence of finely divided iron (catalyst) and molybdenum (promoter) .
2NH3
• Reaction with sulphur
Hydrogen gas when passed through molten sulphur reacts to give another gas, hydrogen sulphide.
H, +s - H, S
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• Reaction with metals
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Dry hydrogen when passed over heated metals, such as Na, K and Ca, reacts to give their
corresponding hydrides.
2K + H2 2KH
2Na + H2 2NaH
Ca + H2 CaH2
• Reaction with metallic oxides
Hydrogen reduces metal oxides to give metals; thus, hydrogen is a red ucing agent.
Fe20 , + 3H2 2Fe + 3H20
Fe, O, + 4H2 3Fe + 4H20
PbO + H2 Pb + H20
CuO + H2 Cu + H20
Uses of Hydrogen
• As a fuel in oxy-hydrogen blow torch
• In meteorolog ical balloons
• In the manufacture of ammonia
• In the manufacture of hydrogenated oils
• For producing artificial petrol from coal
• In the extraction of metals
• As a reducing agent
