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A Short Note On Preparation Of Alkanes

In this lecture, we are going to learn about Preparation Of Alkanes By The Hydrolysis Of Al Or Be Carbides , hydrolysis ,CH4 , calcium carbide, difference between alkane and alkene and many more.

In the presence of diethyl ether, alkyl halides, particularly bromides and iodides, combine with magnesium metal to generate alkyl magnesium halides. Water then hydrolyzes this to generate an alkane. Hydrolysis is a sort of breakdown reaction in which one of the reactants is water, while the other reactant is often broken chemical bonds with water. 

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is the reaction of an organic compound with water to produce two or more new chemicals, and it usually refers to the breaking of chemical bonds caused by the presence of water. In fact, hydrolysis can be thought of as the inverse of condensation, in which two molecules combine to form a bigger one and eject a water molecule. As a result, hydrolysis requires water to be added, while condensation requires water to be taken away. Hydration is a type of reaction in which water reacts with a substance without decomposing it. Alcohols (e.g., ethanol), glycols (e.g., ethylene glycol, propylene glycol), and propylene oxide are all made via these routes.

CH4 (methane)

Methane (CH4) is a colorless and odorless gas. It’s also known as methyl hydride or marsh gas. It is easily combustible. The density of vapors is lower than that of air.If exposed to fire or severe heat for an extended period of time, containers may crack violently and rocket .It is a natural gas component that is also used in the production of other chemicals. Methane is a one-carbon molecule with four hydrogen atoms bound together by single bonds. It’s a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, yet combustible gas with a boiling point of -161°C. It functions as a fossil fuel, a greenhouse gas, and a bacterial metabolite. It’s a one-carbon molecule, a gas molecular entity, and an alkane with a mononuclear parent hydride. It is a methanide conjugate acid . 

Calcium carbide (CaC2)

Calcium carbide ( CaC2 ) is a chemical compound having the molecular formula CaC2.Calcium acetylide is another name for it. It is primarily used in the manufacturing of acetylene and calcium cyanamide in industry. The pure material is white, but technical-grade calcium carbide pieces are gray or brown and include around 80–85 percent CaC2 (the rest being CaO (calcium oxide), Ca3P2 (calcium phosphide), CaS (calcium sulfide), Ca3N2 (calcium nitride), SiC (silicon carbide), and so on). Technical-grade calcium carbide generates an unpleasant garlic-like odor when exposed to trace moisture.

Preparation Of Alkanes By The Hydrolysis Of Al Or Be Carbides

Metal carbide can be used to make alkanes by reacting it with pure water. Metal carbides such as aluminum carbide (Al4C3), beryllium carbide (Be2C), and others can be employed in the reaction. By hydrolyzing Be or Al carbides, only CH4 can be obtained.

AI4C3 + 12H2O delta 4AI(OH)3 + 3CH4

Be2C + 4H2O delta  2Be(OH)2 + CH4

Properties of Alkanes

  • Alkanes have a lower density than water and are hence less dense (alkanes float on top of water).
  • Alkanes have a low reactivity. Strong acids, bases, oxidizing agents (oxidants), and reducing agents do not react with alkanes (reductants).
  • In the presence of ultraviolet light, alkanes will react with halogens such as chlorine gas and bromine water (see halogenation of hydrocarbons).
  • Due to the fact that alkanes are nonpolar molecules, they are more soluble in non-polar than polar solvents. Water does not dissolve alkanes.

Application of Alkanes

Alkanes are used in heating, power generation, cooking, the synthesis of polymers, the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, insecticides, and other chemicals, and the creation of paraffin wax. The amount of carbon atoms in the alkane can be used to differentiate the usage.

Difference Between Alkanes and Alkenes

Alkanes

Alkenes

  1. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning they have only one connection between their atoms.

Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons, meaning that they include one or more double bonds or triple bonds between carbon atoms.

  1. In the case of non-cyclic or straight-chain structures, they are represented in general as CnH2n+2.

When there is no additional functional group, they are symbolized as CnH2n .

  1. Paraffins are another name for them.

Olefin or olefin is also a name of alkene.

  1. Alkane compounds do not have a lot of reactivity.

They are more reactive than alkanes, although they are more stable than alkynes.

Conclusion

Alkanes are essential chemical raw materials and the primary component of gasoline and lubricating oils. Methane and ethane make up the majority of natural gas, which is utilised for heating, cooking, and power generation (gas turbines). Alkanes are versatile and can be used as solvents, heating oils, fuels, in fat synthesis, fatty acid synthesis by air oxidation, albumen production, and olefin transformation, among other things.

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What are the applications of solid alkanes?

Ans. Lubricating oil is mostly made up of alkanes with 17 to 35 carbon atoms. Their hydrophobic nature shields the m...Read full

How are you going to make alkane from alkene?

Ans. The double bond between an alkene and an alkane must be broken by adding hydrogen to an alkene in the presence ...Read full

What is the meaning of paraffin in alkane?

Ans. Because they have a small affinity for a general reagent, alkanes are called paraffins. Alkanes, in other terms...Read full

How is the Grignard reagent used to produce alkanes?

Ans. Acidic hydrogen atoms in compounds like alcohols and water react quickly with Grignard reagents. When a Grignar...Read full

What are the advantages of using alkanes as a solvent?

Ans. Because alkane molecules are nonpolar, they are soluble in nonpolar and slightly polar solvents but not in pola...Read full