Question

I have bought 250 g of old antimony trichloride bottle (very cheap), it was never opened because it is sealed from manufacturer. But it was probably not stored well, or seal is not good, because there is a liquid above crystals. I have read at Wikipedia that with air moisture it can react and produce antimony oxychloride and hydrochloric acid (hydrolysis):

SbCl3+H2O⟶SbOCl+2HCl

Is there any method for recovery of SbCl3?

Answer 1

To recover antimony trichloride (SbCl3), one needs to separate it from any hydrolysis products, rely on the difference in solubility between SbCl3 and its hydrolysis products, and perhaps employ a chemical reaction involving stoichiometric amounts of sulfur to convert any impurities back into SbCl3.

Step-by-step explanation:

Recovery of Antimony Trichloride (SbCl3)

To recover antimony trichloride (SbCl3) from a sealed bottle that has developed a layer of liquid due to possible hydrolysis, a straightforward approach involves removing the liquid and purifying the remaining solid.

First, decant the liquid layer carefully to avoid disturbing the SbCl3 crystals. Next, if hydrolysis has occurred and produced antimony oxychloride (SbOCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), you may need to dissolve the solids in a solvent in which SbCl3 is soluble, but SbOCl is not.

This can help separate the two compounds. Subsequent recrystallization of SbCl3 can be carried out by evaporating the solvent. Additionally, stoichiometric amounts of a reagent such as sulfur can be used to convert any SbOCl back into SbCl3 by forming antimony(III) sulfide (Sb2S3) and then treating it with a strong acid like hydrochloric acid to obtain SbCl3.

To ensure purity, the recovered SbCl3 may need to be analyzed and possibly further refined, considering the reactivity of antimony with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine to yield trihalides or pentahalides.