168k views
5 votes
one method for removal of metal ions from a solution is to convert the metal to its elemental form so it can be filtered out as a solid. Which metal can be used to remove aluminum ions from solution

User Ryan Kline
by
8.4k points

2 Answers

4 votes

Final answer:

Aluminum can be used to remove aluminum ions from a solution by electrolysis, reducing the ions to metal at the cathode.

Step-by-step explanation:

One method for removing metal ions from a solution is to convert the metal to its elemental form, which can then be filtered out as a solid. In the case of aluminum ions, the metal itself can be used to remove them from a solution. Aluminum can be obtained by electrolysis, a process that involves using electrical energy to drive chemical reactions to completion. By electrolyzing a solution containing aluminum ions, the aluminum ions can be reduced to metal at the cathode, allowing them to be filtered out as a solid.

User Simaofreitas
by
8.0k points
2 votes

Final answer:

Aluminum ions are typically removed from solution and converted into elemental aluminum through the process of electrolysis, which is done after refining bauxite into pure aluminum oxide.

Step-by-step explanation:

To remove aluminum ions from solution, one effective method is to reduce them to their elemental form via electrolysis. Since aluminum is too reactive to be isolated using methods like carbon reduction, the Bayer Process is first used to convert bauxite into pure aluminum oxide, which in turn is electrolyzed in a solution of molten cryolite. This process occurs in an electrolytic cell, where aluminum ions are reduced to aluminum metal at the cathode, while other gases are produced at the anode. In a classroom or industrial setting, using a more reactive metal to precipitate aluminum out of the solution would not be practical or safe due to the high reactivity series position of aluminum.

User Boris Zbarsky
by
8.2k points