Everyday Life and Chemistry - Essentials of Chemical Education - page 228

Martin Winter [ 17 ] at University of Muenster will develop a new lithium-ion-
battery for cars in the next years, Marco Oetken and Martin Hasselmann [ 18 ]
presented school experiments according to the lithium-ion-battery:with graphite
electrodes they electrolyzed a solution of lithium perchlorate in propylen carbonate
and got a voltage of 3.5 V [ 18 ].

8.2.11 House Building: Example “Hardening of Mortar”

Mortar “ Ca ( OH ) 2 type ” (E8.14): The lime in the mortar mixture of sand, lime,
and water means chemically calcium hydroxide, it can be produced of solid
calcium oxide by the reaction with water. In the setting of mortar, the reaction of
calcium hydroxide with carbon dioxide out of the air occurs and forms
solid calcium carbonate and water. Depending on the thickness of the wall and
the temperature, it takes months or years until the setting is complete:

CaO (s) þ H 2 O ð l Þ! Ca ð OH Þ 2 ð s Þ ABR

Ca ð OH Þ 2 ð s ; aq Þþ CO 2 ð aq ; g Þ! CaCO 3 ð s Þþ H 2 O ð g ; l Þ ABR

Destruction of lime stone by acidic rain: Calcium carbonate (such as marble in
the natural rock of buildings) can be attacked and destroyed by acidic rain and
converted to crystal-water-containing calcium sulfate. Because it increases the
volume, lime stone or natural marble can be weathered very strong on its surface:

2H 3 O þ ð SO 4 2 ð CaCO 3 (s) þ aq Þþ aq Þ! CaSO 4 2H 2 O (s) þ H 2 O þ CO 2 ð Þ

ABR

g

8.2.12 Service: Example “Fire Fighting”

Fire extinguisher “ bicarbonate type ” (E8.15): There are several types of fire
extinguishers, most operate on the basis of compressed carbon dioxide. If
firefighters like to set a foam carpet on the runway of an airport, the reaction can
be described by solid aluminum bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate with water for
firefighting, which develops extinguishing foam with special soaps:

2 þ

Al 3 þ (s) H þ ð

þ 6H 2 O !½ Al ð H 2 O Þ 5 OH ð aq Þþ aq Þ ABR and CR

HCO 3 (s) H þ ð

þ aq Þ! H 2 O þ CO 2 ð aq ; g Þ ABR