Versatile bleaching agent

These halogenated products find their way into the food chain and finally into products like dairy products, pork, beef and fish. In view of this, use of chlorine has been discouraged. Subsequently, chlorine dioxide was used. Other bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide, ozone or oxygen also did not give the desired results. 

These bleaching agents also find use in laundry and result in lesser use of water. 

Vuocolo, I.D. Suckling, C.P. Horwitz, R.W. Allison, L.J. Wright and T. Collins, A new catalysed hydrogen peroxide bleaching process. Proceedings of the 53 APPITA Annual Conference April 19-22, 1999, Rotorua, New Zealand. 

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The halic acids may not be industrially important, but their salts certainly are. Sodium chlorate is produced in enormous quantities and used in processes in which its oxidizing strength makes it a versatile bleach. One such use is in making paper, and potassium chlorate is used as the oxidizing agent in matches. The decomposition of potassium chlorate was discussed in Chapter 13 in connection with the laboratory preparation of oxygen. 

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