how to make hydrogen chloride

2023-09-04

1. How to prepare HCl in the laboratory?

There are two common methods for preparing HCl in the laboratory:
Chlorine reacts with hydrogen:
Cl2 + H2 → 2HCl
Hydrochloride reacts with strong acids:
NaCl + H2SO4 → HCl + NaHSO4
Ammonium chloride reacts with sodium hydroxide:
NH4Cl + NaOH → NaCl + NH3 + H2O

hydrogen chloride gas

2. Where is hydrogen chloride produced?

Hydrogen chloride exists in nature in places such as volcanic eruptions, seawater evaporation, and earthquake faults. Industrially, hydrogen chloride is mainly produced by the chlor-alkali process.

3. Why is HCl the strongest acid?

HCl is the strongest acid because it completely ionizes, producing large amounts of hydrogen ions. Hydrogen ions are the essence of acid and determine its strength.

4. What is the most common use of HCl?

Chemical raw materials: used to synthesize chlorides, hydrochlorides, organic compounds, etc.
Industrial raw materials: used in metallurgy, electroplating, printing, papermaking, etc.
Daily necessities: used for cleaning, disinfection, bleaching, etc.

5. What are the dangers of HCl?

Corrosiveness: HCl is a strong acid that is corrosive to skin, eyes, and respiratory tract.
Irritation: HCl has an irritating effect on the human body and can cause symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.
Carcinogenicity: HCl is considered carcinogenic.

6. Why is HCl used in medicine?

HCl is used in medicine, mainly for the treatment of hyperacidity, esophageal reflux and other diseases.

7. How to prepare HCl from salt?

Dissolve the salt in water, and then add a strong acid such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid to hydrolyze the hydrochloride.
NaCl + H2SO4 → HCl + NaHSO4
The salt is dissolved in water, and then chlorine gas is introduced to chlorinate the salt.
NaCl + Cl2 → NaCl + HCl