halogen - 9-8-2004 at 17:31
We all know that Oxiclean is mostly sodium carbonate and percarbonate, and that bleach is sodium hydroxide and hypochlorite solution.
When the two are added together, the mixture froths up somewhat vigorously, and creates a disturbing odour.
What is the meaning of this?
Is it the other components reacting?
[Edited on 10-8-2004 by halogen]
Blind Angel - 9-8-2004 at 19:01
Chlorine?
Bleach + anything = Chlorine (most of the time)
Correct me if i'm wrong.
BromicAcid - 9-8-2004 at 19:12
Either
A) The peroxide ion in basic solution is oxidizing the hypochlorite anion to chlorine and water or chloride, or
B) The hypochlorite anion in basic solution is catalyzing the decomposition of the peroxide to oxygen and water, or
C) The peroxide ion is catalyzing the decomposition of the hypochlorite anion to water and chlorine or chloride, or
D) The hypochlorite anion is oxidizing the peroxide to oxygen and water.
Disturbing odor could be vaporized peroxides, hypochlorites, chlorine, chloride, hydroxides, carbon dioxide, as you can see I'm getting at this
vapor is actually a mist of the reaction that is carried along with the scentless exit gasses CO2/O2 possibly tinged with chlorine.
METHINX
halogen - 10-8-2004 at 08:55
If it helps any, It was an acidic almost garlic-like smell, the solution on the bottom is a bit greener than bleach.
(Yes I know it is unlikely, because such is the nature of bleach to be dyed by the presence of hypochlorite of soda)
Could the odour include traces of monatomic oxygen. 'Tis possible
methinks.
Cl2 is the most probable answer, due to the forces of reasoning, that the gas produced 'ould be chloride of chlorine.
The oxiclean label say no mix with chlorine bleach.
I've been feeling a little alchemichal lately what with the bleach-->sodium chlorite project.
[Edited on 10-8-2004 by halogen]
Mix
MadHatter - 10-8-2004 at 11:00
Just tried that mix. No detectable smell of chlorine. Maybe it's because I
have a cold but chlorine ususally comes through even if I have the flu !
Probably, the percarbonate is being catalytically reduced by the
hypochlorite. It reacted instantly. Of course if you put the percarbonate
in water, it will release oxygen without additional heating.
Percarbonates are not the most stable of substances.
'Chloride of chlorine' ? Please tell me this is a typo.
[Edited on 10-8-2004 by MadHatter]
Geomancer - 10-8-2004 at 12:30
Triplet oxygen? Try doing it in the dark (carefull what you breathe); see if it glows.
Glows in the dark ?
MadHatter - 10-8-2004 at 12:51
Geomancer, do you smell a troll ? My cold/flu isn't that bad !
BTW, I love that 'see if if glows' comment !
I stored some of it
halogen - 10-8-2004 at 16:16
I stored some of the liquid.
It has sat for approx. 5 hr.
I opened the container (Twas small amount) and smelled it.
The odour was incredibly... odourous.
A garlicky pungent choking-at-the-back-of-the-throat smell. Made me recoil, almost dropped it.
HCl?
[Edited on 11-8-2004 by halogen]
Geomancer - 11-8-2004 at 18:53
HaHA! Alas, I'm not that clever. I was serious. I was also somewhat wrong. Plain old oxygen is in the triplet state--wierd stuff, it's
attracted to magnets. The stuff from hypochlorite+H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> is the singlet form. I tried producing some
yesterday, but there was no discernable glow 
Quantum - 11-8-2004 at 20:34
Um I thought most of the oxygen in the air is O<sub>2</sub> and ozone is O<sub>3</sub>! Are you talking about something else.
AngelEyes - 12-8-2004 at 03:16
It's <i>liquid</i> Oxygen that's magnetic...and a blue colour too.
Not convinced Ozone is magnetic...
singlet Oxygen? - <i>nascent</i> is the correct adjective I think. Very reactive stuff iirc...
[Edited on 12-8-2004 by AngelEyes]
Geomancer - 12-8-2004 at 08:21
"Singlet" and "Triplet" refer to electronic states, not to the number of atoms in the molecule. In the singlet state, the two high
energy electrons are in opposing spins, whereas they have independent spins in the triplet state.
I've always assumed gaseous oxygen is paramagnetic; maybe it's not, even though it's the same stuff?
unionised - 12-8-2004 at 08:31
Triplet oxygen (ie the normal stuff we breathe), liquid oxygen and ozone are all paramagnetic.
LOX is sufficiently so that you can easily see the effect if you put a magnet near a small Dewar full hun on a string.