Laundry bleaches hydrogen peroxide

Borax is used in laundry detergents and bleaches. It releases hydrogen peroxide when it reacts with water. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleach, and its action is aided by the alkaline solution also produced by the reaction. 

Sodium perborate has been for some time in use mixed with soap, borax, alkali, etc., and is sold for laundry work under such names as Persil, Glarax, and Ozonite. It possesses detergent and bleaching properties. Since 1914 the salt NaBOj, 4H20 has been produced by electrolysis, and many recent patents deal with this process. Formerly, the only means available for preparation was that of mixing borax with hydrogen peroxide. 

The most commonly used EWAs in laundry products today are shown in Table 28.2 and represent three chemistries—distyrylbiphenyl, coumarin, and stilbene. The selection of the EWA to be used in a specific type of laundry product will depend on several factors such as compatibility with the formulation, fabrics, product claims, laundry conditions, application, and manufacturing limitations. For example, compounds 60 and 62-65 are substantive to cellulosics and compound 61 is substantive to sUk, wool, nylon, secondary acetate, and triacetate fibers. Eor bleach-based products (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) compound 60 is used as distyrylbiphenyl chemistry exhibits the required stability. 

Sodium perborate has the correct full formula Na2[B2(02)2(0H)J hH O. It is obtained by treating sodium borate with hydrogen peroxide H O. The peroxide group, built into the molecule, makes the compound a color-safe bleaching alternative in laundry. The formula commonly used, NaBOj is misleadingly simple. Sodi-... 

The ability of borate to form solid-stable compounds with the oxidizing agent hydrogen peroxide formed the basis for bleach technology employed in domestic laundry detergents for most of the twentieth century. Such compounds, referred to as perborates (the sodium perborates are listed in Table 17.1), rely for their excellent stability on the existence of peroxy di-borate anions (Figure 17.4) [23]. 

Other major industrial applications for hydrogen peroxide include the manufacture of sodium percarbonate and sodium perborate, used as mild bleaches in laundry detergents. It is used in the production of certain organic peroxides such as dibenzoyl peroxide, used in polymerisations and other chemical processes. Hydrogen peroxide is also used in the production of epoxides such as propylene oxide. Reaction with carboxylic acids produces a corresponding peroxy acid. Peracetic acid and meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (commonly abbreviated mCPBA) are prepared from acetic acid and /weto-chlorobenzoic acid, respectively. The latter is commonly reacted with alkenes to give the corresponding epoxide. 

Chem. Descrip. Mixt, of anionic and nonionic surfactants Uses Surfactant for hypochloride- or hydrogen peroxide-containing cleaners, laundry bleaches... 

---