Stannic chloride pentahydrate being a hygroscopic compound absorbs moisture from surroundings and the bottle which was almost half unused has become hydrated now and is in liquid plus some sediment form. Is there any way I can get stannic chloride or some other use out of it..??
As far as I know (see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin(IV)_chloride), the anhydrous form is a clear liquid, while it becomes a white semi-solid ("butter of tin") when it is hydrated as pentahydrate.
Il looks that your bottle is still very much active and dry, with some minor sediment (the pentahydrate form).
According the Product Specification to Tin(IV) chloride pentahydrate from Sigma (http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Graphics/COfAInfo/SigmaSAPQM/SPEC/24/244678/244678-BULK_______SIGALD_____.pdf), the compound is a solid. But the Stannic chloride in the anhydrous form is a clear liquid as well as pointed out by Roberto Bencini. If your original compound is Tin(IV) chloride pentahydrate, I agree with you and the compound is hydrated. I extracted the next purification procedure from PURIFICATION OF LABORATORY CHEMICALS -Fifth Edition- Wilfred L. E Armarego and Christina Li Lin Chai for the anhydrous form:
“Stannic chloride (tin IV chloride, stannic tetrachloride) [7646-78-8] M 260.5, m -33°, -30.2°, b 114°/760mm, d 2.23, pK25 14.15 (for aquo Sn4+ hydrolysis). Fumes in moist air due to hydrate formation. Fractionate in a ground glass still and store in the absence of air. Possible impurities are SO2 and HCl [Baudler Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry (Ed. Brauer) VoI I p. 729 796J]. It forms a solid pentahydrate [10026-06-9] which smells of HCl and is formed when the anhydrous salt is dissolved in a small vol of H2O. Also refluxed with clean mercury or P2O5 for several hours, then distd under (reduced) N2 pressure into a receiver containing P2O5- Finally redistd. Alternatively, distd from Sn metal under vacuum in an all-glass system and sealed off in large ampoules. Fumes in moist air. SnCU is available commercially as IM solns in CH2Cl2 or hexane. HARMFUL VAPOURS.”
I think that is possible distill the excess of water and then proceed like is described by the book. And recover the anhydrous form so then form the pentahydrated form by addition of a small volume of water as described by the book. But I never worked with the compound, so proceed with extreme caution. I hope this information would be useful for you. Regards.
Juan
Tin(IV) chloride known as stannic chloride is in two forms of anhydrous and pentahydrate. Anhydrous form is liquid and pentahydrate is white powder. Liquid form is so volatile and it converts to tin oxide in the air and the white perception on the bottom of the liquid is because of this perception. The best way to avoid this kind of conversion is keeping the liquid refrigerator. This conversion is some how unavoidable. For the powder form, i think you can use desiccator for absorbing excess water but be careful about the impurities.
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