Properties of Bleaching Powder

Properties of Bleaching Powder can be studied under two heading which includes,

• Physical Properties of Bleaching Powder
• Chemical Properties of Bleaching Powder

Physical Properties of Bleaching Powder

Bleaching Powder is a pale yellowish powder that possesses a strong smell of chlorine. Its physical properties include,

• It performs a reaction with dilute acids to produce chlorine. 
• It is soluble in cold water. The lime is left as an insoluble residue on dilution.
• In reaction with an excess of a dilute, for instance, dilute sulphuric acid, the chlorine from the bleaching powder gets liberated. 

Thereby, the chlorine that is produced as a result of the action of dilute acid on bleaching powder acts as a bleaching agent. Therefore, chlorine is the bleaching agent in bleaching powder. 

Chemical Properties of Bleaching Powder

Various Chemical Properties of Bleaching Powder include,

• Bleaching powder reacts with dilute sulphuric acid, to form calcium sulphate and chlorine gas, water is also produced in the reaction.

CaOCl₂ + H₂SO₄ – → CaSO₄ + Cl₂ + H₂O

• Bleaching powder reacts with CO₂ to produce chlorine gas and calcium carbonate.

CaOCl₂ + CO₂ → CaCO₃ + Cl₂

• Bleaching powder reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl), to produce chlorine gas.

CaOCl₂ + 2HCl → CaCl₂ + Cl₂ + H₂O

The chlorine released in various reactions of bleaching power releases chlorine gas which is used as a bleaching reagent.

Bleaching Powder, also called Calcium Hypochlorite or Calcium Oxychloride, is a chemical compound which is used for various purposes. It has various uses but it is majorly used for its bleaching action, the bleaching action of Bleaching Powder is used to bleach clothes in laundries, and others. Bleaching powder is also used for various aspects such as disinfectants, cleaning potable water and others. In this article, we will read about Bleaching Powder, its properties, and others in detail.