Sodium bicarbonate and sulfuric acid react in a neutralization reaction to produce sodium sulfate, water, and carbon dioxide. Sulfuric acid is a strong acid that can fully or partially neutralize other substances, while sodium bicarbonate is a partial acid-salt of carbonic acid. Both compounds have industrial uses, with sulfuric acid being used in the production of fertilizers, steel, and batteries, and baking soda being used in food preparation and sanitation. The complete neutralization product, sodium sulfate, is a by-product of other industrial processes.
Sodium bicarbonate and sulfuric acid are, respectively, the acid salt of a strong base and a strong acid. The interaction between the two substances is categorically defined as a “neutralization reaction”. In theory, combining two molecules of sodium bicarbonate and one molecule of sulfuric acid produces one molecule of sodium sulfate and two molecules of carbonic acid. In reality, however, the carbonic acid in that environment is unstable, and therefore does not remain in solution, but rapidly dissociates into water and carbon dioxide, the latter which escapes into the atmosphere. Overall, the reaction is written 2 NaHCO3 + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + 2 H2O + 2 CO2↑.
Sulfuric acid is among the strongest of the inorganic or “mineral” acids. Unlike many other strong acids, such as nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid contains two hydrogen atoms in its structure. In solution, these take the form of hydrogen ions. When both hydrogen ions are replaced or neutralized, the resulting product is a complete salt, such as potassium sulfate (K2SO4). If, on the other hand, only one hydrogen ion is replaced, the product is a half salt, sometimes called an acid salt, in this case potassium hydrogen sulfate (KHSO4), perhaps better known as potassium bisulfate.
It will now be clear that sodium bicarbonate is just such an acid-salt or semi-salt and results from the neutralization of only one available hydrogen ion found in its parent, carbonic acid (H2CO3). This acid undergoes the partial neutralization reaction NaOH + H2CO3 → NaHCO3 + H2O, rather than 2 NaOH + H2CO3 → Na2CO3 + 2 H2O, the latter representing complete neutralization. The connection between baking soda and sulfuric acid is therefore a partial neutralization of an acid-salt of a strong base by a strong acid. Another possibility is the partial neutralization, not of sulfuric acid, but of sodium bicarbonate, to produce sodium bisulfate via the reaction equation NaHCO3 + H2SO4 → NaHSO4 + H2O + CO2↑.
The two compounds, sodium bicarbonate and sulfuric acid, are of great industrial importance. Sulfuric acid is used commercially in the production of fertilizers, steel, lead-acid batteries and for petroleum refining. Baking soda is generally safe to handle and is useful in treating acid spills, especially sulfuric acid spills. It is also important in food preparation, management of some small fires, sanitation, and medicine. The complete neutralization product between sodium bicarbonate and sulfuric acid, sodium sulfate, is an abundant by-product of some other industrial processes.
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