The chemical reaction of oxidation-reduction, more commonly referred to as a redox reaction, is a widespread occurrence across the world. It is also a critical component of the metabolic process, as food oxidation results in the release of energy, which enables living forms to flourish. When certain elements and compounds are exposed, combustion occurs, releasing water, carbon dioxide, and energy. Thus, to obtain a better grasp of redox and combustion reactions, one needs to be familiar with oxidation state, or OS, a chemical property that many elements possess.
Oxidation State Definition
The oxidation number or oxidation state is hypothetically the charge of an atom if all of its bonds with other atoms were completely ionic. They specify the degree to which an atom in a chemical molecule is oxidised.
On a conceptual level, the oxidation state can be expressed using positive, negative, or zero integrals.
Origin and Discovery of Oxidation State
Antoine Lavoisier, a well-known French chemist, used the term “oxidation” to refer to the interaction of oxygen with any chemical. Later investigations demonstrated that oxidation does indeed result in electron loss. Thus, the word oxidation was enlarged to include additional processes that resulted in electron loss, regardless of whether oxygen was involved, et etc. As a result, its application range was expanded. Thus, these electron losses were quantified using what is known as the oxidation state. Thus, oxidation number or state may be defined by assigning a value to such electron losses throughout a reaction, which are often represented as numbers. Occasionally, the OS can be expressed as a fraction. For example, the oxidation state of iron in Fe3O4 is worth 8/3. Before discussing the oxidation number or condition in further detail, let’s take a short look at the oxidation process.
In simple terms, Lavoisier coined the term “oxidation.” It is a chemical term that refers to the interaction of a material with oxygen.
Oxidation States of Aluminum
The oxidation state of a substance relates to the number of electrons it may gain or lose to reach a stable electronic configuration, i.e. the configuration of its closest noble gas. Aluminium has an atomic number of 13. Aluminium is a chemical element belonging to the p-block family with an atomic number of 13. It is classified as a chemical element in period 3 and group 13 of the current periodic table. As can be seen, aluminum’s valence shell contains three electrons (third shell). Aluminium is easily capable of losing three electrons to acquire the electrical configuration of Neon. As a result, its most stable oxidation state is +3. Aluminum has an oxidation state of +1 and +2 in some compounds, however, it is not very stable.
Elements in group 13 of the modern periodic table are referred to as boron family elements. This is because Boron is the first element in group 13.
Aluminum Oxide Production
The Bayer method is used to manufacture aluminium oxide. It is a method of refining bauxite to produce alumina. The procedure begins with drying and washing crushed bauxite containing between 30% and 55% Al2O3. By dissolving the crushed bauxite in caustic soda, a slurry is created. A heated temperature of between 230 and 520 degrees Fahrenheit is applied (110 -270 degrees Centigrade). When the mixture is formed, a residue known as red mud impurities is left behind. After fluttering these impurities, an alumina solution is formed. Aluminum hydroxide is the chemical name for this solution, which is subsequently transported to a precipitator tank. This tank aids in the process of chilling and seeding. Precipitation stimulates the seeds and results in the formation of solid and crystallised aluminium hydroxide. Aluminum hydroxide is then taken from the bottom of the tank. The remaining caustic soda is carefully rinsed out of the mixture using numerous filtering procedures. The final procedure involves heating the mixture to dehydrate it. It is then cooled to create a fine white powder of aluminium oxide.
Electronegativity
Electronegativity refers to an atom’s proclivity to draw the shared pair of electrons towards itself inside a molecule.
A diagonal relationship exists between elements in the second and third periods of the periodic table. These pairs of diagonally adjacent items exhibit some property similarity. The degree to which these traits are comparable is substantially less than the degree to which they are similar within a group. These similarities in the characteristics of diagonally neighbouring elements are a result of the elements’ comparable polarising power and ionic charge to size ratio.
The second-period metals found in groups 1, 2, and 13 exhibit a diagonal connection. Magnesium and lithium have a diagonal connection. Beryllium has a diagonal bond with aluminium. Boron and silicon have a diagonal connection.
Aluminium is beryllium’s diagonally opposite element. Beryllium and aluminium are both elements with comparable atomic sizes. They have a comparable charge-to-volume ratio. As a result of their diagonal connection, Beryllium and aluminium exhibit comparable qualities.
Aluminium has an electronegativity of 1.5. Beryllium has an electronegativity of 1.5.
Ionisation Energy
In basic words, ionisation energy is a measure of the difficulty of removing an electron from an atom or ion or of an atom or ion’s inclination to yield an electron. Typically, electrons are lost in the ground state of a chemical species.
Alternatively, we might remark that ionisation or ionisation energy is a unit of strength (attractive forces) used to describe how an electron is kept in a certain location.
In more technical terms, ionisation energy is the lowest amount of energy that an electron in a gaseous atom or ion must receive to escape the nucleus’s influence. Additionally, it is occasionally referred to as ionisation potential, and it is often an endothermic process.
Further, we may conclude that ionisation energy provides information about the reactivity of chemical substances. Additionally, it may be utilised to ascertain the strength of chemical connections. It is expressed in either electron volts or kilojoules per mol.
Depending on how molecules are ionised, which frequently results in changes in molecular geometry, the ionisation energy can be either adiabatic or vertical.
Conclusion
As can be seen, Aluminum’s valence shell contains three electrons (third shell). Aluminium is easily capable of losing three electrons to acquire the electrical configuration of Neon. As a result, its most stable oxidation state is +3.