Production line halted

NOTICE: 

I am currently taking an indefinite leave of absence from "Today I Made...". Production line is hence halted until further notice. 

Until then with best regards,

Celastra

Zinc chloride

Raw materials

1. Zinc

2. Hydrogen chloride

Process

Anhydrous ZnCl₂ can be prepared from zinc and hydrogen chloride:

Zn + 2 HCl → ZnCl₂ + H₂

Hydrated forms and aqueous solutions may be readily prepared similarly by treating Zn metal with hydrochloric acid. Zinc oxide and zinc sulfide react with HCl:

ZnS (s) + 2 HCl (aq) → ZnCl₂ (aq) + H₂S (g)

Product

Zinc chloride

Used as/in

Metallurgical flux, organic synthesis, textile processing, smoke bombs, fingerprint detection, disinfectant 

Production facility

Townsville, QLD

Export

Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Sodium hydroxide

Raw materials

1. Aqueous solution of sodium chloride

Process

Sodium hydroxide is produced (along with chlorine and hydrogen) via the chloralkali process. This involves the electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium chloride. The sodium hydroxide builds up at the cathode, where water is reduced to hydrogen gas and hydroxide ion:

2 Na⁺ + 2 H₂O + 2 e^– → H₂ + 2 NaOH

More accurately:

2 Na⁺Cl^– + 2 H₂O + 2 e^– → H₂ + 2 Cl^– + 2 NaOH

The Cl^– ions are oxidized to chlorine gas at the anode.

Product

Sodium hydroxide

Used for

Manufacture of sodium salts and detergents, pH regulation, organic synthesis, Bayer process of aluminium production, additive in drilling mud to increase alkalinity in bentonite mud systems increases the mud viscosity, neutralizing acid gas (such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide) which may be encountered in the geological formation as drilling progresses, treating poor quality crude oil to remove sulfurous impurities in a process known as caustic washing

Production facility

Toowoomba, QLD

Export

San Jose, Costa Rica

Salt (Sodium cholride)

Raw materials

1. Seawater

Process

Salt is currently mass-produced by evaporation of seawater or brine from other sources, such as brine wells and salt lakes, and by mining rock salt, called halite.

Product

Salt

Used for

Cooking, manufacturing pulp and paper, setting dyes in textiles and fabric, producing soaps, detergents, and other bath products, major source of industrial chlorine and sodium hydroxide

Production facility

Mount Morris, New York

Export

Surfers Paradise, QLD

Potassium sodium tartrate

Raw materials

1. Sodium carbonate

2. Potassium bitartrate

Process

1. Potassium sodium tartrate, (NaKC₄H₄O₆) may be prepared by adding 0.5 mole sodium carbonate to heated solution containing 1 mole potassium bitartrate (KHC₄H₄O₆). (1M KHC₄H₄O₆ : 0.5M Na₂CO₃). 

2. The solution is filtered while hot. 

3. This solution is then dried to precipitate solid potassium sodium tartrate, as small crystallites.

Product

Potassium sodium tartrate

Used as

Food additive, break up emulsions (particularly for reactions in which an aluminium-based hydride reagent was used), ingredient in the Biuret reagent which is used to measure protein concentration

Production facility

Sunshine Coast, QLD

Export

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Potassium nitrate

Raw materials

1. Ammonium nitrate

2. Potassium hydroxide

Process 

Potassium nitrate can be made by combining ammonium nitrate and potassium hydroxide.

NH₄NO₃ (aq) + KOH (aq) → NH₃ (g) + KNO₃ (aq) + H₂O (l)

An alternative way of producing potassium nitrate without a by-product of ammonia is to combine ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, easily obtained as a sodium-free salt substitute.

NH₄NO₃ (aq) + KCl (aq) → NH₄Cl (aq) + KNO₃ (aq)

Potassium nitrate can also be produced by neutralizing nitric acid with potassium hydroxide. This reaction is highly exothermic.

KOH (aq) + HNO₃ → KNO₃ (aq) + H₂O (l)

Product

Potassium nitrate

Used for 

Black powder, fertilizer, food preserver, oxidizer, tree stump remover

Production facility

Rockhampton, QLD 

Export

Brazzaville, Congo

Oxalic acid

Raw materials

1. Carbohydrate

2. Nitric acid

Process

Oxalic acid is mainly manufactured by the oxidation of carbohydrates or glucose using nitric acid or air in the presence of vanadium pentoxide. A variety of precursors can be used including glycolic acid and ethylene glycol.

 

A newer method entails oxidative carbonylation of alcohols to give the diesters of oxalic acid:

4 ROH + 4 CO + O₂ → 2 (CO₂R)₂ + 2 H₂O

These diesters are subsequently hydrolyzed to oxalic acid. 

 

Product

Oxalic acid

Used for

Cleaning or bleaching (especially for the removal of rust), restoration of old wood, cleaning 'grubbyness' from dirty leather to get back to the flesh of the leather before reintroducing preservatives, rubbed onto completed marble sculptures to seal the surface and introduce a shine

 

Production facility

Mount Isa, QLD 

 

Export  

Moroni, Comoros