Description

Production and chemical properties

Sodium cyanide is produced by treating hydrogen cyanide with sodium hydroxide

Worldwide production was estimated at **0,**0 tons in the year ***6. In former times, it was prepared by the Castner-Kellner process involving the reaction of sodium amide with carbon at elevated temperatures.

The structure of solid NaCN is related to that of sodium chloride.[4] The anions and cations are each six-coordinate. Potassium cyanide (KCN) adopts a similar structure. Each Na+ forms pi-bonds to two CN- groups as well as two "bent" Na**-CN and two "bent" Na**-NC links.[5]

Because the salt is derived from a weak acid, NaCN readily reverts back to HCN by hydrolysis: the moist solid emits small amounts of hydrogen cyanide, which smells like bitter almonds (not everyone can smell it—the ability thereof is due to a genetic trait[6]). Sodium cyanide reacts rapidly with strong acids to release hydrogen cyanide. This dangerous process represents a significant risk associated with cyanide salts. It is detoxified most efficiently with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce sodium cyanate (NaOCN) and water:[3]