Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: realmswalker on 10/08/2006 04:00:58

Title: Bleach and hydrogen peroxide
Post by: realmswalker on 10/08/2006 04:00:58

my friends and i were mixing some stuff and found that a mixture of chlroine bleach and hydrogen peroxide made alot of gas (we arent sure what) and a decent amount of heat.
What was going on when we mixed these?

Title: Re: Bleach and hydrogen peroxide
Post by: lightarrow on 10/08/2006 08:25:39

At least oxigen gas released from hydrogen peroxide decomposition: bleach is a very basic solution and hydrogen peroxide decomposes in basics solution, especially if there are also metal ions impurities (iron , manganese, ecc.)

Title: Re: Bleach and hydrogen peroxide
Post by: eric l on 10/08/2006 14:36:19

Well, realmswalker, you are not complaining of breathing problems, so I suppose the gas mixture was mainly oxygen.  In fact, mixing this two instable components will always give you both oxygen and chlorine, and it depends on conditions like pH, temperature and indedd presence of some impurities that can act as catalysts which will prevaiL.  And the heat is produced whenever instable components react to produce more stable ones.
"Mixing some stuff" can be dangerous - if the conditions had been different, the mixture might haven contained mainly chlorine.  Even at low concentrations chlorine can make you very sick, at least it would have made you run like hell.