Chlorine, bleaching agent

Chlorinated hocyanurates. The principal solid chlorine bleaching agents are the chlorinated isocyanurates. The one used most often for bleaching applications is sodium dichloro-isocyanurate dihydrate, with 56% available chlorine. 

The reducing action of sulphurous acid and sulphites in solution leads to their use as mild bleaching agents (for example magenta and some natural dyes, such as indigo, and the yellow dye in wool and straw are bleached). They are also used as a preservative for fruit and other foodstuffs for this reason. Other uses are to remove chlorine from fabrics after bleaching and in photography. 

The presence of chloric(I) acid makes the properties of chlorine water different from those of gaseous chlorine, just as aqueous sulphur dioxide is very different from the gas. Chloric(I) acid is a strong oxidising agent, and in acid solution will even oxidise sulphur to sulphuric acid however, the concentration of free chloric(I) acid in chlorine water is often low and oxidation reactions are not always complete. Nevertheless when chlorine bleaches moist litmus, it is the chloric(I) acid which is formed that produces the bleaching. The reaction of chlorine gas with aqueous bromide or iodide ions which causes displacement of bromine or iodine (see below) may also involve the reaction... 

Chlorine reacts with alkaU and alkaline earth metal hydroxides to form bleaching agents such as NaOCl ... 

Miscellaneous. Both whiting and hydrated lime are used as diluents and carriers of pesticides, such as lime—sulfur sprays, Bordeaux, calcium arsenate, etc. The most widely used bleach and sterilizer, high test calcium hypochlorite, is made by interacting lime and chlorine (see Bleaching AGENTS). Calcium and magnesium salts, such as dicalcium phosphate, magnesium chloride, lithium salts, etc, are made directly from calcific and dolomitic lime and limestone. 

A number of perhalides aie known, and one of the most stable is ammonium tetiachloioiodide [19702 3-3] NH IQ. Ammonia reacts with chlorine in dilute solution to give chloramines, a reaction important in water purification (see Cm,ORAMINES AND BROMAMINEs). Depending upon the pH of the water, either monochloramine [10599-90-3] NH2CI, or dichloramine [3400-09-7] NHCI2, is formed. In the dilutions encountered in waterworks practice, monochloramine is neady always found, except in the case of very acidic water (see Bleaching AGENTS Water). 

Uses. The dominant use of sulfur dioxide is as a captive intermediate for production of sulfuric acid. There is also substantial captive production in the pulp and paper industry for sulfite pulping, and it is used as an intermediate for on-site production of bleaches, eg, chlorine dioxide or sodium hydrosulfite (see Bleaching agents). There is a substantial merchant market for sulfur dioxide in the paper and pulp industry. Sulfur dioxide is used for the production of chlorine dioxide at the paper (qv) mill site by reduction of sodium chlorate in sulfuric acid solution and also for production of sodium dithionite by the reaction of sodium borohydride with sulfur dioxide (315). This last appHcation was growing rapidly in North America as of the late 1990s. 

Titanium Trichloride Hexahydrate. Titanium trichloride hexahydrate [19114-57-9] can be prepared by dissolving anhydrous titanium trichloride ia water or by reduciag a solutioa of titanium tetrachloride. Evaporation and crystallisation of the solution yield violet crystals of the hexahydrate. The hydrated salt has had some commercial appHcation as a stripping or bleaching agent ia the dyeiag iadustry, particularly where chlorine must be avoided. 

YeUowing of wool can occur during dyeing, depending on pH, temperature and time, and chlorinated wools ate especially sensitive. Bleaching agents that can be added to the dyebath have been developed based on sodium bisulfite and hydroxylamine sulfate (108). Addition of hydrogen peroxide to the dyebath after exhaustion can also be effective. 

After World War I, other chlohne-based bleaches were developed. In 1921 the use of chlorine dioxide for bleaching fibers was reported followed by the development of the commercial process for large-scale production of sodium chlorite. In 1928 the first dry calcium hypochlorite containing 70% available chlorine was produced in the United States. This material largely replaced bleaching powder as a commercial bleaching agent. 

A study of the North American bleaching agent market was completed in June 1988 and includes consumption quantities for the year 1986 (156). Chlorine consumption for 1986 was 1.86 x 10 t. The North American consumption volume of other chlorine-containing bleaching compounds including sodium and calcium hypochlorite, chlorinated isocyanurates, and hydantoins was 286,000 t. The 1986 North American consumption of sodium chlorate was estimated at 5.5 x 10 t. 

One such decontaminant is supertropical bleach (STB). STB is a mixture of chlorinated lime and calcium oxide containing about 30% available chlorine. It can be used either as a dry mix or as a slurry to decontaminate some equipment surfaces and terrain. The dry mix is prepared with two parts bleach to three parts earth by volume. A slurry typically consists of 40 parts STB to 60 parts by weight of water. This material is then sprayed or swabbed on the contaminated surface (see Bleaching agents). STB is an effective decontaminant for mustard, lewisite, and VX. It is less effective against nerve agents other than VX. 

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