Content:

1. Introduction
2. Aim
3. Materials Required
4. Theory
5. Reactions
6. Procedure
7. Observations
8. Result
9. Bibliography
Introduction :
Aluminum because of its low density, high tensile strength and resistance
to corrosion is widely used for the manufacture of airplanes, automobiles,
lawn furniture as well as for aluminum cans. Being good conductor of
electricity it is used for transmission of electricity. Aluminum is also used
for making utensils. The recycling of aluminum cans and other aluminum
products is a very positive contribution to saving our natural resources.
Most of the recycled aluminum is melted and recast into other aluminum
metal products or used in the production of various aluminum
compounds, the most common of which are the alums. Alums are double
sulphates having general formula:- X2SO4.M2(SO4)3.24H2O Some
important alums and their names are given below:
K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3.24H2O - Potash Alum
Na2SO4.Al2(SO4)3.24H2O - Soda Alum
K2SO4.Cr2(SO4)3.24H2O - Chrome Alum
(NH)2SO4.Fe2(SO4)3.24H2O - Ferric Alum Potash alum is used in
papermaking, in fire extinguishers, in food stuffs and in purification of
water. Soda alum used in baking powders and chrome alum is used in
tanning leather and water proofing fabrics. In addition to these primary
uses, alum is also used as:
i) An astringent. A substance or preparation, that draws together or
constricts body tissues and is effective in stopping the flow of blood or
other secretions. Alum has also been used by conventional hairdressers
for treating shaving cuts.
ii) A mordant. Substances used in dyeing to fix certain dyes on
cloth. Either the mordant or a colloid produced by the mordant adheres to
the fiber, attracting and fixing
The insoluble, colored precipitate that is formed is called a lake. Alum is
a basic mordant used for fixing acid dyes. iii) For the removal of
phosphate from natural and waste waters. The aluminum ions of alum
combine with the orthophosphate around pH 6 to form the solid
aluminum hydroxyphosphate which is precipitated. iv) For fireproofing
fabrics. The major uses of alums are based on two important properties,
namely precipitation of Al(OH)3 and those related to the acidity created
by the production of hydrogen ions. Al(H2O)6 +3 → Al(OH)3↓ + 3H2O
+ 3H+ The H+ ions generated are used foe reacting with sodium
 bicarbonate to release CO2. This property is made use of in baking powder and
CO2 fire extinguishers.

Aim:
To prepare potash alum from aluminium scrap.

Requirements :
 250 ml Flask
 Funnel
 Beaker
 Scrap aluminium
 Potassium hydroxide solution
 6 M Sulphuric Acid [H 2 so4]
 Water Bath
 Ethanol

Theory :
Aluminum metal is treated with hot aqueous KOH solution. Aluminum
dissolves as potassium aluminate, KAl(OH)4, salt. 2Al(s) + 2KOH(aq) +
6H2O(l) 2KAl(OH)4 (aq) + 3H2 Potassium aluminate solution on treatment
with dil. Sulphuric acid first gives precipitate Al(OH)3, which dissolves on
addition of small excess of H2SO4 and heating. 2KOH(aq) + H2SO4(aq)
2Al(OH)3 (s) + K2SO4(aq) + 2H2O(l) 2Al(OH)3 (s) + 3 H2SO4(aq)
Al2(SO4)3(aq) +6H2O(l)

 The resulting solution is concentrated to near saturation and cooled. On

cooling crystals of potash alum crystallize out. K2SO4(aq) +
Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 24H2O(l) K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3. 24H2O(s)
   Reactions 2Al(s) + 2KOH(aq) + 6H2O(l) 2KAl(OH)4 (aq) + 3H2
K2SO4(aq) + Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 24H2O(l) K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3. 24H2O(s)
2Al(OH)3 (s) + 3 H2SO4(aq) Al2(SO4)3(aq) +6H2O(l) 2KOH(aq) +
H2SO4(aq) 2Al(OH)3 (s) + K2SO4(aq) + 2H2O(l) K2SO4(aq) +
Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 24H2O(l) K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3. 24H2O(s)

Procedure :
 Clean a small piece of scrap aluminum with steel wool and
cut it into very small pieces. Aluminum foil may be taken
instead of scrap aluminum.
 Put the small pieces of scrap aluminum or aluminum foil
(about 1.00g) into a conical flask and add about 50 ml of 4 M
KOH solution to dissolve the aluminum.
 The flask may be heated gently in order to facilitate
dissolution. Since during this step hydrogen gas is evolved
this step must be done in a well ventilated area.  Continue
heating until all of the aluminum reacts.
 Filter the solution to remove any insoluble impurities and
reduce the volume to about 25 ml by heating. Allow the
filtrate to cool. Now add slowly 6 M H2SO4 until insoluble
Al(OH)3 just forms in the solution.
 Gently heat the mixture until the Al(OH)3 precipitate
dissolves.
 Cool the resulting solution in an ice-bath for about 30
minutes whereby alum crystals should separate out. For better
results the solution may be left overnight for crystallization to
continue.
 In case crystals do not form the solution may be further
concentrated and cooled again.  Filter the crystals from the
 solution using vacuum pump, wash the crystals with 50/50
ethanol-water mixture.
 Continue applying the vacuum until the crystals appear dry.
 Determine the mass of alum crystals.

Observations

Weight of Aluminium Metal (g) 1.9648

Weight of Filter Paper (g) 0.3596

Weight of Filter Paper and Product (g) 0.94904

Weight of Plastic and Paint Removed (g) 0.58944

Weight of Product (g) 27.0104

The amount of aluminium foil used to perform this experiment was 1.9648, and
this mass was used to calculate the theoretical yield using the equation: (grams
of product)=(grams of reactant)x(1 mole of reactant/molar mass of
reactant)x(mole ratio of product/reactant)x(molar mass of product/1 mole). The
theoretical yield turned out to be 34.547, because the mole to mole ratio of
reactant to product was one to one, and the molar mass of the product was
474.39 g. The percent yield was calculated using the equation (mass of actual
yield/mass of theoretical yield)x100. The mass of actual yield was the weight of
the product, and the mass of theoretical yield was the number calculated using
the first equation.
The percent yield found was about what was expected, for there was some error
due to water and ethanol not being fully removed, because the crystals were not
given enough time for water and ethanol to evaporate. There was also some
missing due to the fact that alum is very soluble in water, and the addition of
water caused some of the alum to dissolve. The alum could be recovered by
repeating the crystallization process again, using the solution that was drained
from the crystals in the last part of the experiment.
The reason the percent yield was under 100% could be due to the fact that some
of the reactant did not react, instead it just stayed in its original form. Also,
some of the product may have been lost when transferred from one container to
another.
Conclusion:
The experiment performed, Preparation of Alum from Aluminum Metal, was
used to separate and extract alum from the paint and plastic materials present in
aluminum foil. The experiment used potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid to
extract the alum, and in turn, was part of the formation of the alum. The
experiment was overall successful, and it is also a successful way to reduce
waste and recycle aluminum of all kinds to produce new materials.

Result :
Potash Alum of……….% yield was prepared from Aluminum Scrap.

Precautions:
 Do not concentrate the solution too much. To get large crystals, let
the concentrated solution cool slowly and remain undisturbed.
 Do not heat the solution of ferrous sulphate and ammonium
sulphate for a long time as it may oxidize ferrous ions to ferric
ions.

Bibliography :
1. cbseportal.com
2. Wikipedia
3. Chemicalland.com
4. books.google.co.in
5. icbse.com
What is the preparation of alum from aluminum metal?
 The purpose of this experiment, Preparation of Alum from
Aluminum Metal, was to extract alum from aluminum metal, and to find
the percent yield of the alum from the aluminum metal. The experiment
was carried out through a series of processes using aluminum foil,
potassium hydroxide, and sulfuric acid. Materials and Methods: