The Metal oxides , Also known as basic oxides, are compounds produced by the reaction of a metal with oxygen.
These salts have a basic behavior, hence their name. According to this behavior, they react with acids in typical acid-base reactions to produce salts and water, for example:
Magnesium oxide, a metal oxide.
M 2 + 2HCl → 2MCl + H 2 OR
Where M = metal of group 1 of the periodic table. This is why metal oxides are also called basic anhydrides (Shrestha, 2016).
These reactions are also often called neutralization reactions. The most important basic oxides are magnesium oxide (MgO), a good thermal conductor and electrical insulation that is used in pumping and thermal insulation bricks, and calcium oxide (CaO), also known as quicklime or lime, used Widely in the steel industry and in water purification (Zumdahl, 2014).
Metal oxides have a high melting point and are solid at room temperature, unlike non-metallic oxides which are usually gases at room temperature (BBC, 2014).
Important Properties of Metal Oxides
Apart from reacting with acids to form salt and water by increasing the pH of an acidic solution, the metal oxides have a general property which is to tend to react with water to form basic solutions of the metal hydroxide.
For example, BaO is a basic oxide (Basic oxides, S.F.). It dissolves in water to form barium hydroxide, Ba (OH) 2 According to the reaction:
BaO + H 2 O → BaOH 2
Some common examples of basic oxides are the oxides of groups 1 and 2 such as barium oxide, lithium oxide, calcium oxide, etc. (Examples of Basic Oxides, S.F.).
These basic oxides react with water to form strong bases, such as the reaction of potassium oxide with water, it forms potassium hydroxide in solution:
K 2 The + H 2 O (1) → 2KOH (aq)
CaO (s) + H 2 O (1) → Ca (OH) 2 (Aq)
30 examples of metal oxides
Lithium oxide : Is a white solid used as fusible in ceramic enamels. It is an attractive candidate for the solid culture material of a DT (deuterium tritium) fusion power plant because of its high lithium atom density (compared to other lithium or lithium metal) and its relatively high thermal conductivity ( LITHIUM OXIDE (Li2O), SF).
Sodium oxide : The main use of sodium oxide is in the manufacture of glass. It is used in ceramics and vessels, although not in crude form (George Sumner, s.f.).
Potassium oxide : It is used in the manufacture of other products such as fertilizers, cement and glassmaking. It is also a reagent. Which means it is used by chemists to test for the presence of other compounds.
Rubidium oxide : Yellow solid, is used as a laboratory reagent to synthesize rubidium salts in the presence of acids.
Magnesium oxide : MgO is used as insulation in industrial cables, as a basic refractory material for crucibles and as a main fire retardant ingredient in building materials.
Calcium oxide : It is a solid odorless, white or grayish, in the form of hard lumps. A strong irritant to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Used in insecticides and fertilizers (National Center for Biotechnology Information., 2005).
Barium oxide : Is a white to yellow powder. May be toxic by ingestion. Irritating to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. It is used as drying agent for gasoline and solvents.
Strontium oxide : Colorless crystals that were used in old cathode ray tube televisions to block x-ray emissions.
Ferric oxide : Is the most common oxide of iron, is the red solid that is observed in nails or other iron materials. The surface of the planet Mars is red mainly by this compound.
Ferric-ferrous oxide : Iron oxide (II, III) is a black solid of the formula Fe 3 OR 4 Which occurs naturally in the mineral magnetite. It is used as a black pigment, as a catalyst and is one of the thermite ingredients, along with sulfur and aluminum.
Copper oxide : It is widely used in chemical and chemical agricultural industries to produce intermediates in some processes. It is a widely used oxidizing / reducing agent and a process regulator in the chemical reaction, especially in the production of petroleum (Cupric oxide Formula, S.F.).
Cuprous oxide : It is a red crystalline material, it can be produced by electrolytic or oven methods. It implies a red color to the glass and is used for antifouling paints (Albert Wilbur Schlechten, 2017).
Auric oxide : Being gold a noble metal, which means that it is oxidized with difficulty, this is the most stable gold oxide. In spite of being a metallic oxide it has acidic properties in its hydrated form.
Zinc oxide : It is a mild astringent and topical protector with some antiseptic action. It is also used in bandages, pastes, ointments, dental cements, and as a sun block.
Titanium oxide : Is a natural mineral used as a bright white pigment for paint, in the food industry as a dye, in sunscreens and cosmetics, and in other industrial uses (Titanium Dioxide, 2017).
Aluminum oxide : Occurs in nature as various minerals such as bauxite, corundum, etc. It is used as an adsorbent, desiccant agent and catalyst, and in the manufacture of dental and refractory cements.
Chromium oxide (II) : Unstable compound since it reacts with air to form chromium (III) oxide.
Chromium oxide (III) : Also known as green chrome, is a solid of that color used as pigment.
Chromium oxide (IV) : An inorganic compound with magnetic properties that was used in cassettes of video recorders and cassettes.
Chromium oxide (V) : Purple solid in anhydrous and orange form in its hydrated form, is a compound highly toxic and carcinogenic.
Cobalt (II) oxide : Powdered or cubic or hexagonal crystals. The color varies from olive to red depending on the particle size, but the commercial material is usually dark gray. Used as a pigment for ceramics such as the famous cobalt blue.
Cobalt (III) oxide : Red solid used as a bleach
Lead oxide (II) : Also called lead monoxide is used in the manufacture of glass.
Lead oxide (IV) : Are brown hexagonal crystals insoluble in water. It is used in matches, explosives, electrodes.
Mercuric oxide : Red solid or reddish orange. Used as a chemical intermediate for mercury salts, organic mercury compounds and chlorine monoxide. Antiseptic in pharmaceuticals, dry cell and fungicide component (Cameo, S.F.).
Static oxide : Is a white or almost whitish crystalline solid or powder. Used as a catalyst, in putty, as polishing powder for steel and glass, in ceramic enamels and colors. "Tin flowers"refers to the material collected as a result of condensation after sublimation.
Stannous oxide : Is a black powder brown or a crystalline solid black to blue-black. Used in the manufacture of golden ruby glass.
Silver oxide : Silver oxides (Ag 2 O and AgO) serve as cathode materials in the primary and secondary silver-zinc (ie, rechargeable) batteries.
The high energy density of primary batteries (measured by the available electrical energy per unit weight) is responsible for their use as miniature power cells for cameras and clocks (Hoffmann, 2015).
Manganese (IV) oxide : Black or brown solid is commonly used in alkaline batteries, as pigment and as precursor of other manganese compounds such as potassium permanganate.
Manganese oxide (VII) : Is a liquid at room temperature. Very reactive and strong oxidizing agent.
References
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- Basic oxides. (S.F.). Taken from 800mainstreet: 800mainstreet.com.
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- (S.F.). MERCURIC OXIDE, [SOLID]. Taken from cameochemicals: cameochemicals.noaa.gov.
- Cupric oxide Formula. (S.F.). Taken from softschools: softschools.com.
- Examples of Basic Oxides. (S.F.). Taken from edurite: edurite.co.
- George Sumner, D.J. (s.f.). What are some of the uses for sodium oxide? Taken from quora: quora.com.
- Hoffmann, J.E. (2015, January 28). Silver processing. Taken from britannica: britannica.com.
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