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How Acid-Base Properties affects
Chemical property: Acidity and Alkalinity
Some types of gases, especially those that have reacted with oxygen (oxides) contain either acidic or basic properties.
Examples of these gases include:
Carbon dioxide (an example of non-metal oxide, acidic gas)
Ammonia (an example of metal oxide, alkaline gas)
Problem in Collecting Acidic or Basic Gases
Some types of drying agents also have acidic or basic properties (e.g., concentrated sulfuric acid, quicklime).
These drying agents can react with acidic or alkali gases in neutralisation reactions
acid + alkali → salt + water
This can cause a few issues, including:
Having a lower yield of gas being collected (as gas is reacted away)
Introduction of impurities (as other products are being formed, including salt and water)
Therefore, acidic gases should be dried using acidic drying agents, while alkali/basic gases should be collected using alkali/basic drying agents.
Types of Drying Agents with Acidic or Basic Properties
Rounding off the concept, the two drying agents with acidic or basic properties and the properties of gases that they can collect are shown below:
Concentrated Sulfuric Acid
Acidic
Used to collect acidic or neutral gases
(e.g., hydrogen, carbon dioxide)Cannot collect alkali gases (e.g., ammonia)
Quicklime (Calcium Oxide)
Alkali
Used to collect alkali or neutral gases
(e.g., hydrogen, ammonia)Cannot collect acidic gases (e.g., carbon dioxide)
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