Back of Chlorine

The element chlorine is gaseous and, together with fluorine, iodine and bromine, belongs to the so-called halogens. What they have in common is that they combine with hydrogen to form acids. For chlorine, this is hydrochloric acid.

I. Bleach

But when most people think of chlorine, they immediately think of bleach. This is a solution of sodium hypochlorite, a chlorine compound that breaks down easily into chlorine and salt. A bottle of bleach in the supermarket usually contains less than 5% chlorine. It is a dilution of 15% chlorine bleach and is therefore more aggressive. Not only does it have a bleaching effect, but it is quite alkaline and will corrode various materials such as aluminium, zinc and textiles.

II. Disinfectants

A third property of chlorine is that it has a disinfectant effect. This is widely used, particularly in the food industry, in kitchens and in swimming pools. For the latter application, the legal dose for public swimming pools is a minimum of 0.5 g per 1000 litres of water. Chlorine is of course also required for private swimming pools. The use of bleach or chlorine bleach is not recommended, as the pH of the bathing water can then become too high, which in turn can lead to eye and skin problems.

This can be prevented by adding chlorine in tablet form. They have a neutral pH. The most commonly used tablets are trichloroisocyanurate, which dissolves slowly in water and is therefore suitable for use in private swimming pools, and dichloroisocyanurate, which dissolves quickly and is mainly used as a surface disinfectant.

III. Dishwashing Machines

The use of chlorine in machine dishwashing detergents is mainly reflected in the application of chlorine-containing oxidising agents. These chlorine-containing oxidising agents, such as hypochlorite, are one of the common ingredients in detergents and they play an important role in improving cleanliness and disinfection.
Role of chlorine in detergents

Oxidative decomposition:

Chlorine-containing oxidisers are able to effectively break down coloured stains and stubborn dirt on crockery with the help of their strong oxidising properties. These stains can come from food containing colours such as tea, coffee, red wine and tomato juice, as well as from hard-to-clean substances such as burnt sauces and cheeses.

Disinfecting and sterilising action:

In addition to its cleaning function, chlorine has significant disinfecting and sterilising effects. During machine washing, chlorine-containing oxidants can kill bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms on the surface of tableware, improving the hygiene and safety of tableware.

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IV. Safety in the use of chlorine

Ensuring safety is essential when using chlorine and the following are some key safety considerations:

Storage and Transport: Chlorine should be stored in specialised cylinders and repetitively placed for safety. The storage place should be cool and at a temperature below the specified standard. During storage and transport, high temperatures and sources of ignition should be avoided to prevent chlorine from exploding from heat or causing a fire.

Personal Protection: When handling chlorine, wear suitable protective equipment including gas mask, chemical splash goggles, gloves, overalls and work shoes. Use suitable materials such as polyvinyl chloride and ensure that the workplace is provided with safety showers and eye flushing apparatus.

Operational Safety: The caps on chlorine bottles should be screwed on tightly and should be handled carefully and gently to prevent damage and leakage of gas or jarring and breaking of the bends inside the bottles.

Chlorine bottle and chlorinator should be avoided to be placed under the hot sun or under the influence of heat source.

If it is found that the needle valve of chlorine bottle is too tight and difficult to open, it should not be struck by hammer or wrenched by long hand to avoid breaking the valve neck.

If the chlorine inlet pipe of the chlorinator is blocked, use a steel wire to unclog it and then blow off the rubbish with a pump, and do not use water to flush it.

When opening the chlorine cylinder chlorine valve, should be opened slowly a little, with ammonia to check whether the leakage.

Chlorine machine in the operation process, such as pressure water suddenly interrupted, should quickly close the chlorine cylinder outlet valve, to avoid leakage of chlorine accident.

Emergency Treatment: When a large amount of chlorine leakage is found, first of all, keep calm, live in the upper wind, and immediately organise rescue. Rescuers first wear a good gas mask. Open the indoor doors and windows, open the exhaust fan, so that the indoor gas reduction. Use ammonia to check where the chlorine is leaking, and plug the leaking parts with bamboo sticks or use a chlorine bottle pressurised cover to deal with it.

Caution: Chlorine gas is a highly toxic gas and is a strong irritant to humans. Inhalation of high concentration of chlorine gas can be fatal. Therefore, workshops producing and using chlorine gas and chlorine storage places should be equipped with chlorine gas leakage detection alarms and heavy-duty protective clothing. When the concentration in the workplace exceeds the standard, the operator must wear a gas mask.

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