CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

clay triangle    →   trokut za žarenje

Clay triangle is a piece of laboratory equipment used in the process of heating substances by a Bunsen burner (e.g. to support a crucible when it’s being heated).

crucible    →   lončić za žarenje

Crucible is used for heating small amounts of solid in an oven to very high temperatures. Crucibles are usually made out of porcelain, platinum, nickel or iron.

octahedron    →   oktaedar

Octahedron is a three-dimensional geometric figure having eight triangular sides.

trigonal planar molecular geometry    →   trigonska planarna geometrija molekule

Trigonal planar is a molecular shape that results when there are three bonds and no lone pairs around the central atom in the molecule. The pairs are arranged along the central atom’s equator, with 120° angles between them. Molecules with an trigonal planar electron pair geometries have sp²d hybridization at the central atom. The carbonate ion (CO₃^2-) has a trigonal planar geometry.

Solvay’s process    →   Solvayev postupak

Solvay ’s process is an industrial process for producing sodium carbonate from sodium chloride and ammonia and carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioixide is produced by the thermal decomposition of limestone, CaCO₃(s).

Quicklime, formed as a by-product of the thermal decomposition of limestone, is treated with water to form calcium hydroxide.

Calcium hydroxide is heated with ammonium chloride to form ammonia and calcium chloride (by product).

Carbon dioxide reacts with ammonia to form ammonium carbonate.

Ammonium carbonate further reacts with carbon dioxide to form ammonium bicarbonate.

Ammonium bicarbonate then react with sodium chloride to form sodium bicarbonate.

Dry sodium bicarbonate is heated in rotary furnace to give anhydrous sodium carbonate or soda ash.

The carbon dioxide produced is recycled back into the process.