I'm currently studying the decomposition of bleach for a project, and I have read so many contradictory things my head is simply spinning right now. Well, this is what I
think I know - please correct me where I'm wrong.
Bleach is composed of an aqueous solution of NaOCl.
Since it is an ionic compound in an aqueous solution, it will disassociate into free Na
+ and OCl
- ions.
The OCl
- ions will then go on to oxidize other substances, but it is unstable, and decomposes over time. Its decomposition is also affected by the pH of the solution.
On the article for 'Bleach', Wikipedia states that:
Hypochlorite and chlorine are in equilibrium in water; the position of the equilibrium is pH dependent and low pH (acidic) favors chlorine.Cl
2 + H
2O
H
+ + Cl
- + HClO
So, why does it say HClO? Does the OCl
- combine with the hydrogen in water? If so, are both HClO and ClO
- called hypochlorite?
AND, why do the manufacturers state that the bleach contains NaOCl if it unavoidably decomposes to form different products?
However,
this document from a chemical manufacturing company says that the main decomposition pathway of OCl
- is to chlorate and chlorine, and does not mention a pH equilibrium as far as I can tell.
3OCl
- ClO
3- + 2Cl
-I guess I'm asking if a kind soul could please make an understandable outline for me how NaOCl behaves in an aqueous solution, and how the decomposition of its constituent ions is affected by pH?