sblock Elements 1 Question 40
58. Sodium carbonate is prepared by Solvay process but the same process is not extended to the manufacture of potassium carbonate, explain.
(1981, 1M)
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Solution:
- In Solvay process, $\mathrm{NaHCO}{3}$ is extracted from the solution by fractional crystallisation, which is then heated to convert it into $\mathrm{Na}{2} \mathrm{CO}{3} \cdot \mathrm{KHCO}{3}$, being more soluble than $\mathrm{NaHCO}{3}$, cannot be extracted by fractional crystallisation. Hence, Solvay process fails in production of $\mathrm{K}{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}$.
