Travis
Member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2016
- Messages
- 3,189
A little off topic, but since you mentioned calcium hydroxide, I have a question for you Travis. I've tried using calcium carbonate mixed with carbonated water to make calcium bicarbonate. I was able to have a reaction that indicates conversion to calcium bicarb, but the reaction is not able to be carried out fully. There seems to be an equilibrium where no calcium carbonate gets converted anymore to calcium bicarb. A lot of calcium carbonate solid powder settles at the bottom.
Since the use of magnesium hydroxide to make mag bicarbonate carries out fully, with no visible dregs left behind, would it be reasonable to expect the use of calcium hydroxide to be fully completed when mixed with carbonated water (with repeated refills of CO2 to carbonate water) to make calcium bicarbonate?
I'm making an experiment now where instead of just drinking magnesium bicarbonate water alone, I want to drink a mixture of magnesium bicarb and calcium bicarb water. I wanted to see if they go well together, such that the calcium would keep magnesium from having a laxative effect, and to find out an appropriate ratio that is most effective. Since calcium has a constipatory effect, it might be able to balance out the laxative effect of magnesium. If successful, it could allow me to increase magnesium intake with less chance of loose bowel movement.
Perhaps you try lowering the pH first and then add the CO₂/carbonate? I think a high pH would tend towards the preservation of Mg=O, Ca=O, Mg–(OH)₂, and Ca–(OH)₂ bonds in water. These species are more soluble in acid, and I'd imagine this is why:
[1] H⁺ + HO–Ca–OH ⟶ ⁺H₂O┈Ca–OH ⟶ H₂O + ⁺Ca–OH
[2] ⁺Ca–OH + H⁺ ⟶ ⁺Ca┈OH₂⁺ ⟶ Ca²⁺ + H₂O
[2] ⁺Ca–OH + H⁺ ⟶ ⁺Ca┈OH₂⁺ ⟶ Ca²⁺ + H₂O
With the right amount of acid, I think you could hydrolyze all covalent hydroxide bonds . . . perhaps making the subsequent carbonate addition more available for new Ca²⁺ ionic bonds.
[3] Ca²⁺ + 2HCO₃⁻ ⟶ Ca²⁺[HCO₃⁻]₂
And with an excess of carbonate, the pH could easily be raised back to 7.0!