how do you separate TeO2 from SiO2? (tellurium dioxide from silicon dioxide)...please help me out.?

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how do you separate TeO2 from SiO2? (tellurium dioxide from silicon dioxide)...please help me out.?

i know that they're both insoluble in water...but that's all.

2007-10-11 02:43:35 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry

1 answers

Add NaOH(aq) solution, heat, and filter. Afterwards, recover the TeO2 by adding HCl(aq) and filtering.

TeO2 + 2NaOH ===> Na2TeO3(aq) + H2O

SiO2 + NaOH ===> No reaction, or at least not right away, which gives you time to filter the Na2TeO3 solution away.

Na2TeO3 + 2HCl ===> TeO2(s) + 2NaCl(aq)

2007-10-11 03:21:58 · answer #1 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋