BLEACH

Chemical Reaction: Bleach

Chemical Reaction: Bleach

Bleach

When acids and bases are mixed, a neutralization reaction occurs. Not all acids and bases should be mixed. However, Bleach, which is a solution, of sodium or calcium hypochlorite for example, should never is mixed with any acid because the resulting chemical reaction creates the deadly gas chlorine. Chlorine gas was used as a chemical weapon in World War I, and breathing it can destroy ling tissue. The lungs fill with fluid, and the unfortunate victim eventually dies by suffocation (Bodkins, 1995).

Reactants and the products

Bleach is often used to whitten clothes. It can also be used to whitten paper pulp that will be converted into sheets of paper. Bleach (NACIO or sodium hypochlorate) belongs to a class of compounds called oxidizing agents. Oxidizing agents whitten substances by changing the atomic structure of colored molecules. The chemical change is called an oxidation-reduction, or redox reaction. If a new, reduced molecule is exposed to the air, which contain 20% colored state. The reactant of bleach that occurs when white newspaper yellow with age.

Identify the reactants and the products

The active ingredient in bleach is NaCIO (Sodium Hypochlorite). In water, the NaCIO ionizes into Na+ and CIO-. The CIO-ion is the oxidizing agent. In a basic solution, this ion removes color by oxidizing pigments and, is so doing, changes to the CI-ion. The oxidization number of the chlorine atom changes from +1 in the CIO- ion to -1 in the CI-ion for the CIO-ion to oxidize pigment molecule. Therefore, when an oxidizing agent oxidizes another species, such as an element, compound, or ion, and gains electronics, its oxidation number must decrease. The substance in an oxidization-reduction reaction that shows a decrease in its oxidization number is the oxidizing agent. Oxidizing agents are strong bleaches. CIO2, a reddish yellow gas, is also used to bleach paper pulp. However, CIO2 is such a strong oxidizing agent that it is explosive in high concentrations; therefore, it is only used in low concentrations (Odabasi, 2008).

What reaction is occurring?

A scheme of the reactions occurring can be proposed according to equations (3) (5).

CI- + h2O ( ( OCI- + 2H+ + 2e- (3) anode reaction

OCI- + Br- ( ( CI- +OBr- (4) homo Reaction

OBr- +indigo ( ( Br- + isatin (5) Hereto bleach

Accelerated bleach reaction in the presence of OBr- intensifies decolorisation of indigo, despite the fact that the molar concentration of Br- 8.4 10-4 mol L-1 ...