Before you figure out what properties sodium hydride has, you need to find out what it is, where it is used and how important it is. Not everyone will answer these questions, however, ignorance of such information does not at all indicate the futility of this substance. Like other sodium compounds, it is actively used in industry.
Let's try to understand these issues and perhaps begin with the definition and description of this compound. So, sodium hydride is a complex inorganic substance having the formula NaH, grayish-white or white hygroscopic powder. It is obtained by interaction and mixing in an inert liquid hydrogen gas and sodium metal. This substance is used for carboxidation, alkylation and acylation of weak --acids. As a result of the interaction of this compound with water , sodium hydroxide (sodium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide) is obtained.
So, now directly on the properties of sodium hydride. First of all, it is neutral with respect to metals that are subject to corrosion under standard conditions. When using this substance, despite all kinds of scratches, roughness and defects on the outer surface of the metal, it is evenly distributed and protects the surface. Sodium hydride is conveniently used in mineral oil or other hydrocarbons in the form of suspensions. To obtain this complex, heating to 100 degrees is necessary. Sodium hydride melts at 800 degrees Celsius, but this happens exclusively under pressure.
This substance, like calcium hydride, titanium and zirconium, favorably affects rubber vulcanizates. In them, it is introduced immediately before the vulcanization process in the form of dispersions in petroleum jelly, paraffin or mineral oil. Sodium hydride in some of its physical properties is similar to sodium chloride, but its production is slightly heavier and more expensive. Therefore, the scope of sodium hydride is due to the unique properties that only this sodium compound possesses. But the chemical processes that occur with the participation of sodium chloride and sodium hydride are significantly different.
Sodium hydride is actively used to restore titanium. And it is precisely in those cases when restoration is required in sufficiently large volumes, that is, we are talking about an industrial scale. It is this property of this hydride that has found active application in heavy industry and in the automotive industry. Sodium hydride is also used in metallurgy - in those cases when it is necessary to isolate groups of rare metals from various compounds that cannot be isolated by other catalysts. It has been actively used in other sectors of the economy. As can be seen from all the above facts, sodium hydride is a fairly important chemical compound that is actively used in industrial production.
Now a few words about the production of sodium hydride on an industrial scale. In the production of sodium hydride, a small amount of this compound is left in the tank, and molten sodium is fed onto its surface. The tank - a horizontal batch reactor - is a tank inside which there is a screw with two blades. Thanks to this design, material is circulated inside the reactor. It is very important to monitor the supply of sodium and hydrogen, since with the wrong proportions this hydride can be obtained in the liquid phase. This phenomenon can also occur with improper temperature conditions (temperature rise above the permissible value).