Barium chlorite, decomposition

Many of the metal chlorites are not particularly stable and will explode or detonate when stmck or heated. These include the salts of Hg", Tl", Pb ", Cu", and Ag". Extremely fast decomposition with high heat evolution has been noted for barium chlorite [14674-74-9] Ba(Cl02)2, at 190°C, silver chlorite [7783-91-7] AgC102, at 120°C, and lead chlorite [13453-57-17, at 103°C (109). Sodium chlorite can be oxidized by ozone to form chlorine dioxide under acidic conditions (110) ... 

K. G. Thurnlackh and K. F. von Hayn prepared a mixed soln. of potassium chlorate and chlorite by the action of potassium hydroxide free from chlorine on a soln. of chlorine dioxide. Light was carefully excluded, and the soln. was evaporated in vacuo at 45°-50°—potassium chlorate separated out first, and after further evaporation, alcohol was added, and the clear alcoholic soln. evaporated. Needle-like crystals of potassium chlorite, KC102, were obtained which deliquesced on exposure to air. As already indicated in connection with the preparation of the acid, G. Bruni and G. Levi made the potassium chlorite by reducing a soln. of potassium chlorate with oxalic acid and A. Reychler, sodium chlorite, by the action of chlorine dioxide on a soln. of sodium peroxide. Sodium chlorite, NaClQ2, can be also made by double decomposition by treating a soln. of barium chlorite with sodium sulphate and evaporating the clear soln. in vacuo. 

Barium and lead chlorites explode on rapid heating at about 460 K and 385 K, respectively. The decompositions of NaQOj (above 413 K) and of AgCCO (above 358 K) are first-order reactions and the values of are 227 and 109 kJ mol, respectively. The major products of AgCCOj decomposition above 373 K are Ag, AgjO and QO. The thermal stabilities of these four chlorites decrease [27,28] in the same sequence (Na, Ba, Ag, Pb) as the ionic character of these solids, covalent character is associated with greater reactivity. 

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