Question
Why is potassium usually not prepared electrolytically from one of its salts?
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Industrially, sodium metal is obtained by electrolyzing molten sodium chloride. The reaction at the cathode is $\mathrm{Na}^{+}+e^{-} \longrightarrow \mathrm{Na} .$ We might expect that potassium metal would also be prepared by electrolyzing molten potassium chloride. However, potassium metal is soluble in molten potassium chloride and therefore is hard to recover. Furthermore, potassium vaporizes readily at the operating temperature, creating hazardous conditions. Instead, potassium is prepared by the distillation of molten potassium chloride in the presence of sodium vapor at $892^{\circ} \mathrm{C}:$ $$ \mathrm{Na}(g)+\mathrm{KCl}(l) \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{NaCl}(l)+\mathrm{K}(g) $$ In view of the fact that potassium is a stronger reducing agent than sodium, explain why this approach works. (The boiling points of sodium and potassium are $892^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ and $770^{\circ} \mathrm{C},$ respectively.)
Give reason of the following : Sodium carbonate is made by Solvay process but the same process is not extended to the manufacture of potassium carbonate.
The s-Block Elements
Topic 1 : Group -1 Elements (Alkali Metals)
Potassium carbonate cannot be prepared by Solvay process.
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