Commercial chlorine bleach

A bleach is a chemical that removes color or whitens, often via oxidation. A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. Redox (shorthand for reduction-oxidation reaction describes all Chemical reactions in which atoms have their Oxidation number ( Oxidation state Common chemical bleaches include household "chlorine bleach", a solution of approximately 3-6% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and "oxygen bleach", which contains hydrogen peroxide or a peroxide-releasing compound such as sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate. Sodium hypochlorite is a Chemical compound with the formula NaClO Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 is a very pale blue liquid which appears colorless in a dilute solution slightly more Viscous than water Sodium perborate ( PBS) is a white odorless water-soluble Chemical compound with Chemical formula 3 Sodium percarbonate is a white crystalline water-soluble Chemical compound of Sodium carbonate and Hydrogen peroxide. To bleach something is to apply bleach, sometimes as a preliminary step in the process of dyeing. Dyeing is the process of imparting Colours to a textile material in loose fibre Yarn, Cloth or garment form by treatment with a Dye. Bleaching powder is calcium hypochlorite. Calcium hypochlorite is a Chemical compound with formula (2 It is widely used for Water treatment and as a Bleaching agent (bleaching

Other types of bleaches

Chlorine dioxide is used for the bleaching of wood pulp, fats and oils, cellulose, flour, textiles, beeswax, skin, and in a number of other industries. Chlorine dioxide is a Chemical compound with the formula ClO2 Bleaching of wood pulp is the Chemical processing carried out on various types of Wood pulp to decrease the color of the pulp so that it becomes whiter Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is Cellulose is an Organic compound with the formula, a Polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4 Flour is a powder made of Cereal grains It is the key ingredient of Bread, which is a staple food in many countries and therefore the availability A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. For the rock song by Nirvana see Beeswax (song. Beeswax is a natural Wax produced in the bee hive of Honey bees of the genus

In the food industry, some organic peroxides (benzoyl peroxide, etc. The food industry is the complex global collective of diverse Businesses that together supply much of the Food energy consumed by the World population. Organic peroxides are Organic compounds containing the Peroxide Functional group (ROOR' Benzoyl peroxide (ˈbɛnzɔɪl pəˈrɒksaɪd is a Chemical in the Organic peroxide family ) and other agents (e. g. bromates) are used as flour bleaching and maturing agents. The bromate anion,, is a Bromine -based oxoanion. A bromate is a Chemical compound that contains this ion Flour bleaching agent is a Food additive added to Flour in order to make it appear whiter (freshly milled flour is yellowish and to oxidize the surfaces of the flour Flour treatment agents (also called improving agents) are Food additives added to Flour in order to improve its properties

Peracetic acid, ozone and hydrogen peroxide and oxygen are used in bleaching sequences in the pulp industry to produce totally chlorine free (TCF) paper. Peracetic acid ( peroxyacetic acid, or PAA) is a Chemical in the Organic peroxide family OZONE is an object oriented Operating system written in the C programming language. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 is a very pale blue liquid which appears colorless in a dilute solution slightly more Viscous than water Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Bleaching of wood pulp is the Chemical processing carried out on various types of Wood pulp to decrease the color of the pulp so that it becomes whiter

Not all bleaches are hazardous and have a oxidizing nature. Sodium dithionite is used as a powerful reducing agent in some bleaching formulas. Sodium dithionite (aka sodium hydrosulfite or sodium hydrosulphite is a white Crystalline powder with a weak Sulfurous odor A reducing agent (also called a reductant or reducer) is the element or a compound in a Redox (reduction-oxidation reaction (see Electrochemistry It is commonly used to bleach wood pulp used to make newsprint. Bleaching of wood pulp is the Chemical processing carried out on various types of Wood pulp to decrease the color of the pulp so that it becomes whiter Wood pulp is a dry fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating the fibers which make up Wood. Newsprint is low-cost non-archival Paper most commonly used to print Newspapers plus other publications and advertising material

Hazards

Since bleaches are strong oxidizing agents, they can be quite hazardous, especially when reacted with other common household chemicals. An oxidizing agent or oxidising agent (also called an oxidant, oxidizer or oxidiser) can be defined as either a Chemical compound

Mixing sodium hypochlorite with acids like vinegar or drain cleaners containing sodium bisulfate (sodium hydrogen sulfate), or even lemon juice can release chlorine. Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the Fermentation of Ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient Acetic acid (also called ethanoic acid Sodium bisulfate, also sodium hydrogen sulfate, has the Chemical formula NaHSO4 Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Hypochlorite and chlorine are in equilibrium in water, the position of the equilibrium is pH dependant and low pH (acidic) favors chlorine,^[1]

Cl₂ + H₂O H⁺ + Cl^- + HClO

Chlorine is a respiratory irritant that attacks mucous membranes and burns the skin. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular mucosa) are linings of mostly endodermal origin covered in Epithelium, which are involved in A burn is a type of Injury that may be caused by Heat, cold, Electricity, Chemicals, Light, Radiation, or As little as 3. 5 ppm can be detected as an odor, and 1000 ppm is likely to be fatal after a few deep breaths. "Parts-per" notation is used especially in Science and Engineering, to denote Ratios (relative proportions in measured quantities particularly "Parts-per" notation is used especially in Science and Engineering, to denote Ratios (relative proportions in measured quantities particularly Exposure to chlorine has been limited to 0. 5 ppm (8-hour time-weighted average—40 hour week) by OSHA in the U. "Parts-per" notation is used especially in Science and Engineering, to denote Ratios (relative proportions in measured quantities particularly For the European Agency see European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, (OSHA S. ^[2]

Sodium hypochlorite and ammonia react to form a number of products, depending on the temperature, concentration, and how they are mixed. Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor ^[3]. The main reaction is chlorination of ammonia, first giving chloramine (NH₂Cl), then NHCl₂ and finally nitrogen trichloride (NCl₃). Chloramine (monochloramine is a Chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl Nitrogen trichloride, also known as trichloramine, trichlorine nitride is the Chemical compound with the formula NCl3 These materials are very irritating to eyes and lungs and are toxic above certain concentrations.

NH₃ + NaOCl --> NaOH + NH₂Cl

NH₂Cl + NaOCl --> NaOH + NHCl₂

NHCl₂ + NaOCl --> NaOH + NCl₃

Additional reactions produce hydrazine, in a variation of the Olin Raschig process. Hydrazine is a Chemical compound with the formula N2H4 It has an Ammonia -like odor and is derived from the same industrial chemistry The Raschig process (named after the German chemist Friedrich Raschig) is a Chemical process for producing Hydroxylamine (used for making Caprolactam

NH₃ + NH₂Cl + NaOH --> N₂H₄ + NaCl + H₂O

The hydrazine generated can further react with the monochloramine in an exothermic reaction:^[1]

2 NH₂Cl + N₂H₄ --> 2 NH₄Cl + N₂

Industrial bleaching agents can also be sources of concern. Chloramine (monochloramine is a Chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl In Thermodynamics, the word exothermic "outside heating" describes a process or reaction that releases Energy usually in the form of Heat, but For example, the use of elemental chlorine in the bleaching of wood pulp produces organochlorines, persistent organic pollutants, including dioxins. Bleaching of wood pulp is the Chemical processing carried out on various types of Wood pulp to decrease the color of the pulp so that it becomes whiter Applications The simplest form of organochlorides are chlorinated Hydrocarbons These consist of simple Hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen atoms have Persistent organic pollutants ( POP s are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic Not to be confused with Dioxane or Digoxin. Dioxin is a heterocyclic, organic, antiaromatic compound According to an industry group, the use of chlorine dioxide in these processes has reduced the dioxin generation to under detectable levels. Chlorine dioxide is a Chemical compound with the formula ClO2 ^[4] However, respiratory risk from chlorine and highly toxic chlorinated byproducts still

Chemistry

The process of bleaching can be summarised in the following set of chemical reaction:

Cl₂(aq) + H₂O(l) H⁺(aq) + Cl^-(aq) + HClO(aq)

The H⁺ ion of the hypochlorous acid then dissolves into solution, and so the final result is effectively:

Cl₂(aq) + H₂O(l) 2H⁺(aq) + Cl^-(aq) + ClO^-(aq)

Mechanism of bleach action

Color in most dyes and pigments is produced by molecules, such as beta carotene, which contain chromophores. A dye can generally be described as a Colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied For the drug referred to as "pigment" see Black tar heroin. In Chemistry, a molecule is defined as a sufficiently stable electrically neutral group of at least two Atoms in a definite arrangement held together by Beta-carotene is an Organic compound - a Terpenoid, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits A chromophore is part (or moiety) of a Molecule responsible for its Color. Chemical bleaches work in one of two ways:

• An oxidizing bleach works by breaking the chemical bonds that make up the chromophore. A chemical bond is the physical process responsible for the attractive interactions between Atoms and Molecules and which confers stability to diatomic and polyatomic This changes the molecule into a different substance that either does not contain a chromophore, or contains a chromophore that does not absorb visible light.

• A reducing bleach works by converting double bonds in the chromophore into single bonds. This eliminates the ability of the chromophore to absorb visible light. ^[5]

Sunlight acts as a bleach through a process leading to similar results: high energy photons of light, often in the violet or ultraviolet range, can disrupt the bonds in the chromophore, rendering the resulting substance colorless. In Physics, the photon is the Elementary particle responsible for electromagnetic phenomena As the name of a color violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senses first referring to the color of Light at the short- Wavelength Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays Extended exposure often leads to massive discoloration usually reducing the colors to white and typically very faded blue spectrums. ^[6]

See also

• Household chemicals
• Tooth bleaching
• Bleaching of wood pulp
• Bleachfield

References

Further reading

• Bodkins, Dr. Bailey. Bleach. Philadelphia: Virginia Printing Press, 1995.
• Trotman, E. R. Textile Scouring and Bleaching. London: Charles Griffin & Co. , 1968. ISBN 0852640676.
• Book in numerical format Knew you that?

External links

• American Chemistry Council, Chlorine Chemistry Division