Question

In Electrochemical Series lab for the waste disposal of Copper Gluconate. The excess copper gluconate had to be safely disposed of by first plating out the copper using 2 aluminum washers. What is the purpose of this and how can a procedure similar to this be applied to a real-world example

Answer 1

Copper gluconate is the copper salt of D-gluconic acid. It is an odorless light blue or blue-green crystal or powder which is easily soluble in water.

Standard reduction potential of alluminium at 25 ^oC is -1.66

Al³⁺ + 3e^- Al(s)

Standard reduction potential of acopper at 25 ^oC is +0.34

cu²⁺+ 3e^- cu(s)

So alluminium can easily reduce copper ions to metallic copper, metallic copper is not toxic to life form.

In real world the same procedure can be used to reduce metal ions in sewage and waste water which are toxic to life form to their metallic state which is non toxic

So method can be used for waste water treatment