Bleach works its wonders by releasing chlorine onto the surface which results in what is called disinfecting. Bleach is made up of a solution of Sodium hypochlorite. The stuff is widely manufactured which explains its affordability. The raw components of bleach are chlorine gas, caustic soda, and water. The chlorine gas is then circulated through the caustic soda solution and this results in the formation of Sodium hypochlorite.
Of course, there are finer elements to this entire process. This is just an overview. The sodium hypochlorite thus obtained can contain different impurities and these are removed by employing a series of filters.
It is also cooled to prevent any further reactions. The sodium hypochlorite thus obtained is way too strong for use as bleach and is diluted to 5. This is then poured into bottles and containers, sealed and shipped. A reputed brand will use high-quality raw materials and will ensure that the manufacturing process is followed precisely.
It is also tested to make certain that it contains exactly 5. Safety is a primary concern at manufacturing plants because of the presence of volatile chlorine gas. When the chlorine is manufactured outside the reactor facility, it travels in liquid form in specially designed railroad tank cars with double walls that will not rupture in the event of a derailment.
On arrival at the plant, the liquid chlorine is pumped from the tank cars into holding vat.. As a safety measure, the tank cars have shutoff valves that work in conjunction with a chlorine detection system. In the event of a chlorine leak, the detection system triggers a device on the tank that automatically stops the transmission of the liquid in 30 seconds. Inside the facility, chlorine vats are housed in an enclosed area called a car barn.
This enclosed room is equipped with air "scrubbers" to eliminate any escaped chlorine gas, which is harmful to humans and the environment. The vacuum-like scrubber inhales any chlorine gas from the enclosed area and injects it with caustic soda. This turns it into bleach, which is incorporated into the manufacturing process.
Despite these precautions, safety and fire drills are scheduled regularly for plant personnel. Household sodium hypochlorite bleach was introduced to Americans in and sold in steel containers, then in glass bottles. In the early s, the introduction of the plastic jug brought a cheaper, lighter, and nonbreakable packaging alternative.
It reduced transportation costs and protected the safety of workers involved in its shipping and handling. Additionally, the thick plastic did not permit ultraviolet light to reach the bleach, which improved its chemical stability and effectiveness. In recent years, how-ever, plastic containers have become an environmental concern because of the time it takes the material to decompose in a landfill.
Many companies that depend on plastic packaging, including bleach manufacturers, have begun to reduce the amount of plastic in their packaging or to use recycled plastics. In the early s, Clorox introduced post-consumer resins PCR in its packaging.
The bleach manufacturing industry came under fire during the s when the public became concerned about the effects of household chemicals on personal health. Dioxin, a carcinogenic byproduct of chemical manufacturing, is often found in industrial products used to bleach paper and wood. In its final bottled form, common sodium hypochlorite bleach does not contain dioxins because chlorine must be in a gaseous state for dioxins to exist.
However, chlorine gas can form when bleach comes into contact with acid, an ingredient in some toilet-bowl cleaners, and the labels on household bleach contain specific warnings against such combination.
In addition to the danger of dioxins, consumers have also been concerned about the toxicity of chlorine in sodium hypochlorite bleach. However, the laundry process deactivates the potentially toxic chlorine and causes the formation of salt water.
After the rinse water enters the water system through the household drain, municipal water filtration plants remove the remaining traces of chlorine. Ainsworth, Susan. Grime, Keith and Allen Clauss. The manufacturing section of this entry was written with the help of Clorox Company.
Toggle navigation. Made How Volume 2 Bleach Bleach. Other articles you might like:. Also read article about Bleach from Wikipedia. User Contributions: 1. Bruce Hey. Io-Aurelia Duncan. Thank for this article! I ended up here after reading about the Carter Foundation helping citizens in Darfur to make their own soap and wondered how bleach came into the process.
I need to make my own soap, so as to cut down on my expenses. This is the sort of history that should be introduced into high school chemistry class to increase the interest of female students. Some of my female friends did not listen to their mothers and burned holes in their clothes trying to soak them. When it reacts with microbes, sodium hypochlorite attacks proteins in the cells causing the proteins to aggregate and the microbes to clump together and die.
It can also cause cell membranes to burst. This broad-spectrum attack makes bleach effective against a wide-range of bacteria. Sodium hypochlorite is alkaline, and household bleach also contains NaOH to make the solution even more alkaline. Two substances are formed when sodium hypochlorite dissolves in water. These are hypochlorous acid HOCl and the hypochlorite ion OCl - , with the ratio of the two being determined by the pH of the water.
Bleach is generally very safe if handled with respect. In the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents estimated that there are about accidents needing hospital treatment caused by sodium hypochlorite solutions each year in British homes. Most of these were due to drinking the solution by mistake often children drinking it from an unlabelled bottle , but many were also due to handling errors.
Sodium hypochlorite reacts with many reagents, even sunlight, to produce chlorine gas, which in enclosed environments can be a severe lung irritant. Because household bleach also contains NaOH caustic soda , contact with the skin will cause burns due to the NaOH destroying the fatty tissue and oils. This process is known as saponification, and is the method to manufacture soap. The slippery feel of bleach on skin is due to saponification of the skin oils and destruction of tissue! Reaction of bleach with some household products, such as surfactants and fragrances produces chlorinated volatile organic compounds VOCs, such as carbon tetrachloride CCl 4 and chloroform CHCl 3 , which can also be harmful to health.
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