Sodium Hypochlorite Properties

Description

Sodium Hypochlorite is an alkaline, corrosive, light yellow solution. It is formed when caustic soda (NaOH) and chlorine (Cl2) react. It is widely used for its bleaching, disinfecting and oxidizing properties. Sodium Hypochlorite shows, as well as chlorine, a very high reactivity and oxidizing power, but as a solution it is much easier to handle than chlorine. Sodium hypochlorite reacts with hydrochloric acid to release chlorine gas. It decomposes when heated to form sodium chlorate and sodium chloride. Sodium hypochlorite reacts with most nitrogen compounds to form volatile chloramines, dichloramines, and nitrogen trichloride. Sodium Hypochlorite is used as bleaching agent for textile fibers and paper,surfactant, swimming pool disinfectant, drinking and process water disinfectant,oxidizing agent and in production of cleaning and disinfecting agents.