Monday, November 21, 2011

What is the role of sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate in the isolation of caffeine from tea leaves?

They make the caffiene water soluble so that the insoluble components of the tea leaves can be filtered out.What is the role of sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate in the isolation of caffeine from tea leaves?
Caffeine is an alkaloid which is an organic base. Sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate are bases which will prevent caffeine from reacting with any free acids present.

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