Potassium chlorate, reactions

Precaution Incandescent reaction on heating with potassium chlorate reaction with sodium... 

Liquid chlorine dioxide, ClOj, boils at 284 K to give an orange-yellow gas. A very reactive compound, it decomposes readily and violently into its constituents. It is a powerful oxidising agent which has recently found favour as a commercial oxidising agent and as a bleach for wood pulp and flour. In addition, it is used in water sterilisation where, unlike chlorine, it does not produce an unpleasant taste. It is produced when potassium chlorate(V) is treated with concentrated sulphuric acid, the reaction being essentially a disproportionation of chloric(V) acid ... 

The reaction usually proceeds with explosive violence and a better method of preparation is to heat, gently, moist crystals of ethane-dioic acid (oxalic acid) and potassium chlorate(V) ... 

Various sulfides of the halogens are formed by direct combination of sulfur with fluorine, bromine, and chlorine. No evident reaction occurs with iodine instead, the elements remain as components of a mixture. Mixtures of sulfur and potassium chlorate, or sulfur and powdered zinc, are highly explosive. 

Manufacture. Most chlorate is manufactured by the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution in electrochemical cells without diaphragms. Potassium chloride can be electroly2ed for the direct production of potassium chlorate (35,36), but because sodium chlorate is so much more soluble (see Fig. 2), the production of the sodium salt is generally preferred. Potassium chlorate may be obtained from the sodium chlorate by a metathesis reaction with potassium chloride (37). 

Chlorine dioxide, discovered in 1811 by Davy, was prepared from the reaction of potassium chlorate with hydrochloric acid. Early experimentation showed that chlorine dioxide exhibited strong oxidizing and bleaching properties. In the 1930s, the Mathieson Alkali Works developed the first commercial process for preparing chlorine dioxide from sodium chlorate. By 1939, sodium chlorite was established as a commercial product for the generation of chlorine dioxide. 

Potassium chlorate — Fused Poor (violent reaction)... 

When potassium chlorate solution, KClOi, is added to hydrochloric acid, chlorine gas is evolved. Although we can find the half-reaction, 2C1- = Ck(g) + 2e, in Appendix 3, we find no equation with CIQT ion involved. We can surmise that CIO3" is accepting electrons and changing into chlorine. Let us write a partial half-reaction in which we indicate an unknown number of electrons and in which we have conserved only chlorine atoms ... 

Write the balanced chemical equation for (a) the thermal decomposition of potassium chlorate without a catalyst (b) the reaction of bromine with water (c) the reaction between sodium chloride and concentrated sulfuric acid, (d) Identify each reaction as a Bronsted acid—base, Lewis acid—base, or redox reaction. 

Vicinal iodo carboxylates may also be prepared from the reaction of olefins either with iodine and potassium iodate in acetic acid/ or with N-iodosuccinimide and a carboxylic acid in chloroform. " A number of new procedures for effecting the hydroxylation or acyloxylation of olefins in a manner similar to the Prevost or Woodward-Prevost reactions include the following iodo acetoxylation with iodine and potassium chlorate in acetic acid followed by acetolysis with potassium acetate reaction with iV-bromoacetamide and silver acetate in acetic acid reaction with thallium(III) acetate in acetic acid and reaction with iodine tris(trifluoroacetate) in pentane. ... 

Sodium chlorate stored in closed containers detonated because of its confinement and the heat given off by a nearby fire. For a reason that was not specified, a stock of 80 tonnes of potassium chlorate detonated. Regarding this accident the authors make the assumption that the decomposition reaction of this compound would be the following ... 

A mixture of silver sulphide heated with potassium chlorate causes a very violent reaction, which illustrates the usual incompatibility of sulphides with oxidants. 

Barium sulphide has the usual dangerous reactions of sulphides (detonations with potassium chlorate and nitrate, combustion with phosphorus pentoxide). It catalyses the explosive combustion of dichlorine oxide. 

Theoretically, all chemical reactions are reversible. There are, however, many reactions in which the extent of the reverse reaction (i.e., combination of the products to produce the reactants) is very small as to be considered negligible. Such reactions which are ordinarily found to proceed to completion in one direction are said to be irreversible reactions. The decomposition of potassium chlorate... 

To make oxygen, potassium chlorate was heated with manganese dioxide. The manganese dioxide catalyzed the reaction and the potassium chlorate decomposed (broke down into its parts) ... 

Mixtures of aluminium powder with liquid chlorine, dinitrogen tetraoxide or tetran-itromethane are detonable explosives, but not as powerful as aluminium-liquid oxygen mixtures, some of which exceed TNT in effect by a factor of 3 to 4 [1], Mixtures of the powdered metal and various bromates may explode on impact, heating or friction. Iodates and chlorates act similarly [2], Detonation properties of gelled slurries of aluminium powder in aqueous nitrate or perchlorate salt solutions have been studied [3], Reactions of aluminium powder with potassium chlorate or potassium perchlorate have been studied by thermal analysis [4],... 

MRH Barium chlorate 5.06/83, calcium chlorate 5.61/77, potassium chlorate 6.07/76, sodium bromate 4.98/80, sodium chlorate 7.32/75, zinc chlorate 6.11/76 Dry finely divided mixtures of red (or white) phosphorus with chlorates, bromates or iodates of barium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium or zinc will readily explode on initiation by friction, impact or heat. Fires have been caused by accidental contact in the pocket between the red phosphorus in the friction strip on safety-match boxes and potassium chlorate tablets. Addition of a little water to a mixture of white or red phosphorus and potassium iodate causes a violent or explosive reaction. Addition of a little of a solution of phosphorus in carbon disulfide to potassium chlorate causes an explosion when the solvent evaporates. The extreme danger of mixtures of red phosphorus (or sulfur) with chlorates was recognised in the UK some 50 years ago when unlicenced preparation of such mixtures was prohibited by Orders in Council. 

Decomposition reactions are reactions in which a compound breaks down into two or more simpler substances. Although not all decomposition reactions are redox reactions, many are. For example, the thermal decomposition reactions, such as the common laboratory experiment of generating oxygen by heating potassium chlorate, are decomposition reactions ... 

Oxygen can be produced by electrolysis of water using a salt as an electrolyte that produces hydrogen at the opposite electrode. When potassium chlorate (KClOj) is heated in a test tube with a small amount of manganese dioxide (MnO ) as a catalyst, the chemical reaction that releases the oxygen from potassium chlorate will be accelerated. Use of potassium nitrate (KNOj) will also produce small amounts of oxygen. 

Vigorous to violent reactions can occur with oxidizing agents, such as potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate or lead dioxide. 

Potassium chlorate decomposes on heating below its melting point and in the presence of a catalyst, forming potassium chloride and oxygen. The reaction is catalyzed by manganese dioxide and is used in laboratory preparation of oxygen ... 

Potassium perchlorate is produced commercially by electrolysis of a saturated solution of potassium chlorate. Hydrogen gas is liberated at the cathode. The reaction at the anode is ... 

It is an oxidizing agent and undergoes redox reactions with reducing agents. Its oxidizing action, however, is weaker to that of potassium chlorate. Thus the salt is unable to oxidize the iodide ion to iodine in acid medium. 

Tungsten metal is not affected by aqueous alkalies at room temperature. In molten state, caustic soda and caustic potash slowly oxidize tungsten in the presence of air. Oxidiation is more rapid in the presence of an oxidizing agent such as potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, or lead dioxide. A similar reaction occurs with fused sodium or potassium carbonate. Tungsten dissolves... 

Although tungsten exhibits a high degree of resistance to most chemicals, it is readily oxidized by a number of oxidizing agents. A 30% solution of hydrogen peroxide dissolves metal powder slowly at room temperature. A similar reaction happens in a saturated solution of sodium or potassium chlorate. 

The decomposition reaction of potassium chlorate is rare among the common oxidizers because it is exothermic, with a heat of reaction value of approximately -10.5 kcal/mole [ 2]. While most other oxidizers require a net heat input for their decomposition, potassium chlorate dissociates into KCl and O2 with the liberation of heat. This heat output can lead to rate acceleration, and allows the ignition of potassium chlorate-containing compositions with a minimum of external energy input (ignition stimulus). 

Ammonium chlorate, NH C10 3, S an extremely unstable com- pound that decomposes violentiy at temperatures well below 100 C. If a mixture containing both potassium chlorate and an ammonium salt is prepared, there is a good possibility that an exchange reaction will occur — especially in the presence of moisture - to form some of the ammonium chlorate... 

If this reaction occurs, the chance of spontaneous ignition of the mixture is likely. Therefore, any composition containing both a chlorate salt and an ammonium salt must be considered extremely hazardous. The shipping regulations of the United States Department of Transportation classify any such mixtures as "forbidden explosives" because of their instability [8]. However, compositions consisting of potassium chlorate, ammonium chloride, and organic fuels have been used, reportedly safely, for white smoke production [Ij. 

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