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Chlorine: Properties, Preparation, and Uses

Chlorine is a highly reactive halogen found mainly as sodium chloride and in gas form, characterized by its yellowish-green color and pungent smell. It is prepared by oxidizing concentrated hydrochloric acid using agents like manganese (IV) oxide, and it bleaches litmus paper due to its reactive nature. Chlorine has various applications including water purification, plastic production, and as a component in disinfectants and insecticides.

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65 views3 pages

Chlorine: Properties, Preparation, and Uses

Chlorine is a highly reactive halogen found mainly as sodium chloride and in gas form, characterized by its yellowish-green color and pungent smell. It is prepared by oxidizing concentrated hydrochloric acid using agents like manganese (IV) oxide, and it bleaches litmus paper due to its reactive nature. Chlorine has various applications including water purification, plastic production, and as a component in disinfectants and insecticides.

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mboromapriscillah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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CHLORINE

Chlorine is a very reactive halogen therefore it is never found as a free element in the
earth’s crust. It occurs mainly as sodium chloride or rock salt and as a gas. Chlorine gas
has a yellowish green colour and a pungent smell.

Preparation of Chlorine gas

Chlorine is prepared by oxidising concentrated hydrochloric acid. One of the following


can be used as an oxidising agent:-
1. Manganese (iv) Oxide, MnO2
2. Lead (iv) oxide, PbO
3. Potassium manganate (vi) or potassium permanganate

The water absorbs any hydrogen chloride gas that might be carried along with the
chlorine gas because the hydrogen chloride gas is highly soluble in water while chlorine
is slightly soluble.

The concentrated sulphuric acid dries the chlorine gas.

The reaction equation if manganese (IV) oxide is used as the oxidising agent is:

MnO2 (s) + 4HCl (aq) MnCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (aq) + Cl2 (g)

1
The bleaching action of Chlorine

Chlorine reacts with water forming Hypochlorus acid and Hydrochloric acid.

Cl2 (g) + H2O (l) HCl (aq) + HOCl (aq)


Hydrochloric acid hypochlorus acid

The hypoclorus acid is very reactive and readily gives up its oxygen to a dye to form a
colourless compound.

Dye + HOCl (aq) HCl (aq) + Dye


Coloured Colourless

Test for Chlorine gas

Test:- Bring the gas in contact with a damp litmus paper.

Result:- Chlorine gas bleaches the litmus paper.

Properties of Chlorine

1. It is a yellowish green gas with a pungent smell.

2. It is denser than air.

3. It is slightly soluble in water.

4. It forms chlorides in compounds.

Uses of chlorine

1. In water purification.

2. In making plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

3. In making solvents like tetrachloroehane in dry cleaners.

4. In making bleaches, disinfectants, insecticides and pesticides.

Important compounds of Chlorine

The important compound of chlorine is Sodium Chloride. It is obtained from sea water
and salt pans. Sodium chloride is an important source of chlorine, sodium hydroxide and
common salt. This is because during electrolysis of sodium chloride solution, chloride
ions are discharged at the anode while hydrogen ions are discharged at the cathode hence
sodium ions and hydroxide ions remain in solution forming sodium hydroxide.

2
At the Cathode: 2H+ + 2es H2 (g)

At the Anode: 2Cl- - 2es Cl2 (g)

Common salt is obtained from rock salt by dissolving it then crystallise to get crystals.

Extraction of Sodium Chloride from Soda ash

Sodium Chloride occurs naturally in two forms:

1. As rock which is mined directly from underground.


2. As solution called brine which is pumped out the ground through drilled holes.

LEAVE A FULL PAGE FOR A DIAGRAM

The brine (liquor) is pumped from the lake to the first pond where is concentrated by
evaporating excess water.

The solution is then pumped to the second pond which is shallow for fractional
crystallisation to take place. During the day, sodium carbonate forms a layer on top of the
sodium chloride while during the night sodium chloride crystallises and it is scrapped,
washed and dried. The crystals are then ready for use.

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