A Plant Manufacturing Nails And Screws Uses A Large Pool Volume 10 ✓ Solved

A plant manufacturing nails and screws uses a large pool (volume = 10,000 L) to collect and treat its residual waste water before discharging it in a nearby stream. The manufacturing process makes use of a strong acid (HCl) and a weaker one (phosphoric acid, H3PO4; p K a1 = 2.148, p K a2 = 7.20, p K a3 = 12.15), before discharging them in the pool for treatment (neutralization). Once the pool is filled to its maximum capacity, a technician measures the chlorine and phosphorus concentrations in the waste water to be 0.5 M and 1.0 M, respectively. Assume ( i ) that chlorine and phosphorus come only from HCl and phosphoric acid, respectively, and ( ii ) that no H+ was consumed (or neutralized) in the manufacturing process.

1. Knowing that the technician has to bring the pH of the waste water back to a minimum of 7.2 before discharging it in the stream, what is the minimum amount (in kg) of NaOH(s) (40 g/mol) that he has to add to the pool before discharging the waste water in the stream? 1. What will be the pH of the waste water following the addition of 200 kg of NaOH? 1.

What will then be the number of moles of each phosphorus species (H3PO4, H2PO4-, HPO42- and PO43-) in the pool after the addition of NaOH? 1. What will be the pH of the waste water if the technician adds 10.0 kg of NaOH in excess to what is needed to bring the pH to 7.2?

Paper for above instructions

Assignment Solution: Wastewater Neutralization in a Nail and Screw Manufacturing Plant

Introduction

In a manufacturing environment, particularly in industries such as the production of nails and screws, wastewater management is crucial for minimizing environmental impact. The present scenario involves the neutralization of wastewater containing strong and weak acids: hydrochloric acid (HCl) and phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄). From this setup, calculations will derive the amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) required to neutralize the acids, changes in pH, and the speciation of phosphorus at different NaOH concentrations.

1. Calculating the Minimum Amount of NaOH Required for Neutralization

Step 1: Determine the moles of HCl and H₃PO₄
Given:
- Concentration of HCl: 0.5 M
- Concentration of H₃PO₄: 1.0 M
- Volume of the pool: 10,000 L
Calculating moles of HCl:
\[
\text{Moles of HCl} = \text{Concentration} \times \text{Volume} = 0.5 \, \text{mol/L} \times 10,000 \, \text{L} = 5000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Calculating moles of H₃PO₄:
\[
\text{Moles of H₃PO₄} = 1.0 \, \text{mol/L} \times 10,000 \, \text{L} = 10,000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Step 2: Determine the total moles of protons (H+) contributed by each acid
HCl fully dissociates to give 1 mole of H+ per mole of HCl contributing:
\[
\text{Total H+ from HCl} = 5000 \, \text{mol}
\]
H₃PO₄ can dissociate up to three protons, following the dissociation:
1. H₃PO₄ → H₂PO₄⁻ + H⁺
2. H₂PO₄⁻ → HPO₄²⁻ + H⁺
3. HPO₄²⁻ → PO₄³⁻ + H⁺
Using the first and second dissociations (as the third will not significantly contribute here given the pH target):
\[
\text{Total H+ from H₃PO₄} = 10,000 \, \text{mol} \times 2 = 20,000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Therefore, the total moles of H+ in the wastewater is:
\[
\text{Total H+} = 5000 \, \text{mol (from HCl)} + 20,000\, \text{mol (from H₃PO₄)} = 25,000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Step 3: Calculate the amount of NaOH needed for neutralization
Since NaOH dissociates fully to provide 1 mol of OH- per mole, and neutralizes:
\[
\text{NaOH reacts with H+ 1:1}
\]
The moles of NaOH needed are equivalent to the moles of H+ produced:
\[
\text{Moles of NaOH required} = 25,000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Step 4: Convert moles of NaOH to kilograms
Molar mass of NaOH = 40 g/mol. Hence,
\[
\text{Mass of NaOH} = 25,000 \, \text{mol} \times 40 \, \text{g/mol} = 1,000,000 \, \text{g} = 1000 \, \text{kg}
\]
Thus, the technician must add a minimum of 1000 kg of NaOH to bring the pH to 7.2.

2. pH After Addition of 200 kg of NaOH

Total moles of NaOH added:
\[
\text{Mass of NaOH} = 200 \, \text{kg} = 200,000 \, \text{g}
\]
\[
\text{Moles of NaOH} = 200,000 \, \text{g} / 40 \, \text{g/mol} = 5000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Balance of H+ and OH-:
\[
\text{Excess OH-} = \text{Moles of NaOH added} - 25,000 \, \text{mol} = 5000 - 25,000 = -20,000 \, \text{mol}
\]
Since there is a deficit of H+ ions compared to OH- ions, the solution remains acidic. The pH can be computed using the formula for pH:
\[
\text{pH} = 14 + \log [\text{OH-}]
\]
Calculating the final concentration of OH-:
\[
\text{Total Volume} = 10,000 \, \text{L}
\]
\[
[\text{OH-}] = \frac{\text{Excess H+}}{10,000} \rightarrow \text{concentration = 0.005 \, M, therefore}
\]
\[
\text{pH} = 14 - \log [\text{H+}] = 14 - \log 0.005 = 14 - (-2.301) = 16.301
\]
This indicates that the pH exceeds normal (>14), reflecting a basic condition.

3. Moles of Each Phosphorous Species After the Addition of NaOH

After the addition of sufficient NaOH to bring the pH to above 14, the dissociation of phosphoric acid can be approximated as:
- At high pH, most H₃PO₄ will convert to PO₄³⁻.
Calculating species distribution:
The pKa values help determine the species predominance:
- At pH 14, species are largely PO₄³⁻.
Since total moles of phosphorus are 10,000 moles, and most will convert to PO₄³⁻, we can assume:
\[
[\text{H3PO4}] \approx 0, \quad [\text{H2PO4-}] \approx 0, \quad [\text{HPO42-}] \approx 0, \quad [\text{PO43-}] \approx 10,000 \, \text{mol}
\]

4. pH After Adding 10.0 kg of NaOH in Excess

Total Moles of NaOH with 10.0 kg Addition:
\[
10.0 \, \text{kg} = 10,000 \, \text{g} \rightarrow \text{Moles of NaOH} = 10,000 / 40 = 250 \, \text{mol}
\]
Total moles after addition:
\[
5000 \, \text{mol (initial)} + 250\, \text{mol (added)} = 5250 \, \text{mol}
\]
Calculating concentration:
Given 25,000 mol H+ present before reaction:
\[
\text{OH- Excess} = 5250 - 25000 = -19750 \, \text{mol}
\]
No pH can be calculated since there's a large excess of H+ ions, making it acidic:
- Confirm this with calculated values leading back suggesting solution remains acidic even exceeding buffer region for H²PO⁴⁻.

Conclusion

In wastewater management involving manufacturing processes, calculations on neutralization, adjustments to pH, and understanding species formation dynamics play vital roles. An effective plan for managing acidic residues impacts the environmental output and meets legal discharge standards.

References

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