US EPA

8153105 

Journal Article 

The preparation of perchloric acid from sodium perchlorate 

Mathers, FC 

1910 

Yes 

Journal of the American Chemical Society
ISSN: 0002-7863
EISSN: 1520-5126 

32 

1 

66-71 

English 

10.1021/ja01919a004 

These experiments were made to determine the best conditions for the preparation of perchloric acid by the action of concentrated hydrochloric acid upon sodium perchlorate. The sodium chloride is insoluble in the excess of concentrated hydrochloric acid and can be separated from the perchloric and hydrochloric acids by filtering upon an asbestos filter and by washing with concentrated hydrochloric acid. By heating the filtrate, the hydrochloric acid can be volatilized away from the perchloric acid. The best conditions are: Use 25 to 30 cc. of concentrated hydrochloric acid for each 20 grams of sodium perchlorate. Do not add any water to the substances. Filter out the sodium chloride residue and wash with ten 1 cc. portions of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Heat the filtrate and washings to 1350 to volatilize the hydrochloric acid. The yield of perchloric acid is about 95 per cent, of the theoretical. Only about 1 per cent, of the sodium perchlorate is lost in the sodium chloride residues. The other 4 per cent, is in the perchloric acid as sodium perchlorate. The perchloric acid is free from chlorides. The process does not work with potassium perchlorate and is unsatisfactory with barium perchlorate. © 1910, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.