Facts and Uses of Sodium Hypochlorite in Industries

Posted by Gauri Satpute on September 3rd, 2021

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a compound that can be used on a large scale for water purification, residential and commercial surface disinfection, bleaching, water disinfection, odor removal, and so on. The multiple uses of the chemical have consistently increased its demand across various industrial sectors. For instance, even the manufacturers of bleaching products for hair need the right amount of sodium hypochlorite in their composition for the products to do their intended job. Similarly, the manufacturers of disinfectant solutions for homes also depend on sodium hypochlorite to make their products effective.

In terms of its discovery, sodium hypochlorite has had a long and illustrious history. Claude Louis Berthollet developed liquid bleaching agents having sodium hypochlorite back in 1785. The product thus manufactured by the Javel Company was named ‘Liqueur de Javel,\' and it was utilized for bleaching cotton. Its particularly unique characteristics soon made it a popular compound. Soon sodium hypochlorite was being utilized for removing stains from clothes at room temperature. In fact, the products introduced in France by Javel were so iconic back in the day that \'Eau de Javel’ is still the term used for sodium hypochlorite in the country.

On the other hand, Aditya Birla Group of Companies is one of the leading sodium hypochlorite manufacturers in India. The company is a renowned name in the country and in the international circuits for its product range and quality. The brand has plants located in Thailand, Germany, and India and is the manufacturer of several industrially viable chemicals like epoxy, peroxides, and tanfac, apart from sodium hypochlorite.

When it comes to the characteristics, sodium hypochlorite is a slightly yellowish, clear solution with a distinct odor. It has a relative density of 11, i.e., in a 5.5 percent watery solution. As a bleaching agent for residential use, it generally has about five percent of sodium hypochlorite. The pH of 11 makes the solution irritable to people. If the solution is turned more concentrated, the concentration has about ten percent sodium hypochlorite. The pH of thirteen makes sodium hypochlorite downright corrosive.

It is also worth noting that this one is an unstable solution. Active chlorine evaporates each day from this solution. It makes the heated sodium hypochlorite disintegrate. The same thing happens when the chemical is brought close to certain metals, poisonous gases, acids, sunlight, and corrosive gases, including chlorine. These factors are considered by the sodium hypochlorite manufacturers in India while handling the compound.