How chlorine helps you out !

We explored the chlorination of methane which is a substitution reaction brought on by light thus it is considered to be a photochemical reaction and can also be termed as a radical halogenation of an alkane. (3.4: Chlorination of Methane: The Radical Chain Mechanism, 2020) Which results in the formation of the following three products: Chloromethane (CH3Cl) Ethane (C2H6) and finally Chlorine (Cl2) .

This post will be exploring the halogen Chlorine including where it is found in the world around us, the uses of chlorine as a chemical compound, its dangers and the importance of chlorine in everyday life.

Chlorine was first discovered by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1774 who presumed it contained oxygen. (www.lentech.com) Chlorine has a Atomic number of 17 and an atomic mass of 35.453 g.mol -1, a melting point of -101 °C and a boiling point of -34.6 °C which means that at normal temperatures and pressures Chlorine is in a gaseous state and thus as a pure chemical element appears in nature as a diatomic green gas.

Chlorine gas when concentrated is highly reactive and has a deterring smell that is highly toxic and easy to distinguish, yet is detrimental to the respiratory system if breathed for short periods of time and can cause pains in the chest by causing water to collect in the lungs however it’s unlikely to occur with Chlorine occurring in nature because it is not concentrated enough.

Naturally occurring chlorine is usually bonded to sodium forming the compound NaCl commonly referred to as salt, which is used for adding flavor to food and deicing roads and its found naturally in seawater and soil, chloride ions found in soil is a micronutrient necessary for plants as it is a vital component of chloroplasts assisting in plant growth. Chlorine is a greenish-yellow in colour and bonds with most elements. (3.4: Chlorination of Methane: The Radical Chain Mechanism, 2020)

Chlorine is useful in everyday life, for home use it is added to pool cleaners to stop bacterial growth, we also use it in disinfectants such as bleach to clean floors, counters and toilets however bleach is also known to be a harmful carcinogenic. We as humans consume chlorine every day in small quantities as it is easily dissolved in water. Chlorine is added to the water which we are supplied as a purifier due to the fact that it is an efficient killer of bacteria and microbes making the water safe for drinking.

Chlorine also has many industrial uses as it assists in the bromine extraction process, it is also used to produce synthetic rubber and even used in the paper making process as bleach whitens the wood pulp and even removes ink from recycled paper.

Chlorine has so many various uses in paints, plastics, medicines and so many other consumer products and has even been used at crime scenes to try and destroy evidence.

Inexperienced criminals often use common household bleaches to cover up a crime scene because its readily available for a reasonable price and its useful for disinfecting surfaces and removing stains however it is still luminal which means that blood stains can be picked up using UV light and therefore even though the crime scene appears to be clean to the naked eye, experienced investigators have no problem finding evidence.

In conclusion we can see that chlorine is useful for everything in the world around us from flavoring food to making water up to an acceptable drinking standard and disinfecting common use surfaces. Chlorine is also useful in the industrial industry and is used for manufacturing things from rubbers to plastics. However, there’s a downside to the chemical as its very toxic and if exposed to high concentrations or even small concentrations over a long period of time it can be detrimental to our health.