Application of sodium axide in life
Sodium oxide is an alkaline metal oxide in the form of white powder, which is used in the glass, ceramic and glasses industry. This basic anhydride compound is sodium hydroxide, and when water is added to it, NaOH is produced.
Alkali metal oxides M2O (M = Li, Na, K, Rb) crystallize in antifluorite structure. In these motifs, the position of anions and cations is reversed compared to their position in CaF2, sodium ions are tetrahedrally coordinated to 4 oxide ions and oxide is cubically coordinated to 8 sodium ions.
When sodium burns in air, it produces a bright white light, and when it burns in oxygen, the light intensity increases. In the earth’s crust, sodium ions often combine with oxygen in soil and rocks to form sodium oxide, one of the most common forms of this element.
Applications of sodium oxide
- glass industry
Sodium oxide is a component of most glasses, although it is added in the form of “soda” (sodium carbonate). Typically, manufactured glass contains about 15% of this material, 70% silica (silicon dioxide) and 9% lime (calcium oxide).
Sodium carbonate “soda” acts as a fluid to reduce the melting temperature of the silica mixture. Soda glass has a much lower melting point than pure silica and its elasticity is slightly higher. These changes occur because silicon dioxide and soda react and form sodium silicates with the general formula Na2[SiO2]x[SiO3]:
Na2CO3 → Na2O + CO2
Na2O + SiO2 → Na2SiO3
Other applications
- Sodium oxide in the ceramic industry
Sodium oxide is a highly insoluble source of thermal sodium that is also suitable for optical and ceramic applications. Oxide compounds are not electrically conductive, however, the powder of this material with high purity (99.999%), perovskite specific structural oxides, has electronic induction applications in the cathode of solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen generation systems.
They are compounds that contain at least one oxygen anion and one metal cation. Oxides are usually insoluble in aqueous solutions, they are very stable, and for this reason they are used in ceramic structures from the production of clay bowls.
Also, due to having the mentioned features, they are useful in the advanced electronics industry and in structural components with light weight in air-space and electrochemical applications such as fuel cells that have ionic conductivity. Metal oxide compounds can participate in oxidation reactions through the reaction of acids and with strong reducing agents.
Is sodium oxide toxic?
This substance is not soluble in water, but reacts strongly when exposed to water, and in this process sodium hydroxide compound is formed.
Sodium hydroxide can be very corrosive and cause burns to any human tissue. Therefore, it is necessary to use sodium oxide with caution and also keep it away from water and store it in a dry environment.
