Chromium trioxide

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Chromium trioxide

The acid anhydride of chromic acid

Chromic acid

Chromic acid generally refers to a collection of chemical compound generated by the acidification of solutions containing chromate and dichromate ion or the dissolving of chromium trioxide in sulfuric acid....
, CrO₃, is chromium trioxide or chromium(VI) oxide; industrially, this compound is sometimes sold as "chromic acid

Chromic acid

Chromic acid generally refers to a collection of chemical compound generated by the acidification of solutions containing chromate and dichromate ion or the dissolving of chromium trioxide in sulfuric acid....
". This compound is an intensely-colored dark red/orange brown, water-soluble, granular solid

Solid

A solid object is in the states of matter characterized by resistance to deformation and changes of volume. In other words, it has high values both of Young's modulus and of shear modulus; this contrasts e.g....
which is stable by itself, but is a strong oxidant which will react

Chemical reaction

A chemical reaction is a process that always results in the interconversion of chemical substances. The substance or substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants....
when mixed with many things that can be oxidized. Ethanol, for example, will ignite on contact with it.

mium trioxide is produced commercially by the reaction of sodium dichromate

Sodium dichromate

Sodium dichromate is the chemical compound with the formula sodiumChromiumOxygen. Usually, however, the salt is handled as its dihydrate Na2Cr2O7?2water of crystallization....
with concentrated sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid, hydrogen2sulfuroxygen4, is a strong mineral acid. It is soluble in water at all concentrations. Sulfuric acid has many applications, and is one of the top products of the chemical industry....
.

mium trioxide consists of chains of tetrahedrally coordinated chromium atoms that share vertices.

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Encyclopedia

The acid anhydride of chromic acid

Chromic acid

Chromic acid generally refers to a collection of chemical compound generated by the acidification of solutions containing chromate and dichromate ion or the dissolving of chromium trioxide in sulfuric acid....
". This compound is an intensely-colored dark red/orange brown, water-soluble, granular solid

Solid

Chemical reaction

Production

Chromium trioxide is produced commercially by the reaction of sodium dichromate

Sodium dichromate

Sulfuric acid

Structure and chemistry

Chromium trioxide consists of chains of tetrahedrally coordinated chromium atoms that share vertices. Each chromium

Chromium

Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is a steely-gray, Lustre , hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point....
atom therefore has "half share of two oxygen atoms" and two oxygen atoms that are not shared, giving an overall stoichiometry of 1:3.
Chromium trioxide decomposes above 197°C liberating oxygen eventually giving Cr₂O₃

Chromium(III) oxide

Chromium oxide is the inorganic compound of the Chemical formula Cr2O3. It is one of principal oxides of chromium and is used as a pigment....
. The reaction of chromium trioxide with organic substances is potentially explosive. In spite of this, CrO₃ is used in organic chemistry as an oxidant, often dissolved in acetic acid

Acetic acid

Acetic acid, CH3COOH, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic acid which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. Pure, water-free acetic acid is a colourless liquid that absorbs water from the environment , and freezes at 16.7 Celsius to a colourless crystalline solid....
, or acetone

Acetone

Acetone is the organic compound with the chemical formula OC2. This colorless, mobile, flammable liquid is the simplest example of the ketones....
in the case of the Jones oxidation

Jones oxidation

The Jones oxidation is a chemical reaction described as the chromic acid redox of primary and secondary alcohols to carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively....
.

Safety

Chromium trioxide is highly toxic, corrosive, and carcinogenic.

Chromium trioxide may cause cancer and/or heritable genetic damage. It is explosive when mixed with combustible material. It is toxic in contact with skin and if swallowed and very toxic by inhalation. CrO₃ causes severe burns and may cause sensitisation by inhalation and skin contact. It is also systemically toxic: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation. There is a possible risk of impaired fertility. CrO₃ is very toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.