Production of Bleach Solution and Comparative Study of Commercially Produced Bleach Solution
CHAPTER ONE
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aims and objectives of this project is to a large extent as explained by the title – “Production of bleach solution comparatively to commercially produced bleach solution. The research objectives are listed below:
- To harness the available raw materials for the production of bleach solution in the country.
- To produce quality bleach, which will be affordable to the masses comparatively to others produced and sold costly in the market.
- To establish medium scale industries for employment of young school leavers thus making them to become self-reliant.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
BACKGROUND OF BLEACHING SOLUTIO
In the history of bleach solution, evidence exists for the chemical bleaching of cloth by archeologist prior to 300 BC. According to Jeeves (2000), a United State based Professor said that the Greek and Roman used this neutralization method until the mid – eighteenth century. Firstly, soaking in an aqueous alkaline solution prepared by digesting the seaweed cleans the material. After the alkaline treatment, the cloth was treated with sour milk to remove any calcium salt and to neutralize the alkaline solution. This neutralization process is called scorning. After scorning, the cloth was rinsed and laid in the sun for days at a time to been bleached. This later process is called crafting.
By the 1800 century, there was a strong demand for bleached cloth. The classical sequence of scour, some and bleach remained the only method available. The first two steps in the sequence was later improved some what by the use of alkali solution, in the scouring process and the replacement of scour milk by oil of vitriol. GrownHill M. C. (1967).
USE OF LARGE TRACTS OF LANO
Due to the pressure existed by the decreasing availability of land, the stage was set for the introduction of a chemical process for bleaching.
According to Frank B., Frank C. P., Seymann S. and Stanley M. (1978), Benthlef applied chlorine after his discovery in 1974 in a commercial bleaching. Benthlef attempted at first to use water solution of chlorine, but he found out that this weakened the cloth excessively. He later discovered that chlorine could be assorted by a caustic potash solution to form potassium hypochlorine. This process of bleaching then became the fully accepted chemical bleaching process with lime and soda ash being used for the scour, oil of vitriol for the scour and potassium hypochlorine for the bleach.
According to Clugston M. J., Fraze, M. J., Akkins, P. L., Jones R. (1988), labarraque replaced the expensive potassium solution with caustic soda and by the turn of the century, labarraque solution has completely replaced potassium hypochlorine and simultaneously eliminated the need for crafting.
Other chlorine base methods of bleaching were also being investigated at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Also according to Ababid O. (1984), p. 282, the development of bleaching powder was of great importance since this solid form of chlorine bleach could be transported easily.
This development eliminated the need for onsite chlorine generating plants adjacent to the textile mills. For the next century, bleaching powder remained the chief source of textile bleach and has the impetus for much of the early chemical and chemical engineering investigations.
Thus, materials could be bleached either with an oxidizing a reducing agent.
OXIDIZING OR REDUCING BLEACHING AGENT
Scoring generally removes all impurities except the natural colouring matters, which have to be broken down by bleaching, either with an oxidizing a reducing agent.
Oxidizing bleaching agent are used to a far greater extent than reducing agent Ababid (1984). Almost invariably the oxidizing agent gives a more permanent white than the reducing agent. When the colour is acted upon by a reducing agent, there is always the possibility that the oxygen in the air re-oxidize it to its original state.
Due to this reason, oxidizing bleaching agent is preferred to reducing bleaching agent. The traditional oxidizing bleaching agent for cellulosic fibers was bleaching powder, which is more convenient to handle and more constant in composition Jeeves (1998).
The cheapest and most abundant oxidizing agent is atmospheric oxygen Ababid (1984), p. 165 and the method of bleaching was to lay the methnal out in a field where it was exposed to the sun and air. This was known as “dew bleaching”. But the generally accepted oxidizing bleach solutions are oxochlorate (i) acid and sodium hypochlorite.
Sulphur dioxide has been used as a reducing bleaching agent, which has the disadvantages of forming sulphuric acid after bleaching. Sodium dothionatic has been the most popular reducing bleach used in the textile industry. Also, sodium biohydcide is being considered as reducing bleach, unlike most of the metal hydrides. It can dissolve in cold water, and thus used in aqueous reductions.
Oxidizing bleaching agent will now be reviewed under the following categories of bleaching materials; chlorine, hypochlutes, chloramines, hydrogen peroxide, perborales, chlorine dioxide etc. Ababid (1984), p. 165.
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHODS
REAGENTS USED
- Potassium tetraoxomanganate (vii)
- Hydrochloric acid
- Water
APPARATUS/MATERIALS USED
1) Round bottom flask (with two openings)
2) Connecting tube
3) Beaker
4) Cork
5) Three retort stand
6) Flask with tap
7) Spatula
8) Weighing disc
9) Weighing balance
METHOD OF PRODUCTION
The apparatus was set up as shown below:
DISTILLED WATER Potassium Tetraoxomanganate
+
CHLORINE Crystals (Kmno4)
OXOCHLORATE ACID
H2O + CL2 HOCL + HCL
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CLEANSING ABILITY
The cleansing ability of the laboratory produced bleach solution was effective in sample (I) than the commercially produced bleach solution also shows that the laboratory produced bleach solution of sample II was more effective while the commercially produced bleach solution was only effective. The laboratory produced bleach solution of sample III became most effective while commercially produced bleach remain effective. All these were done on the same timing after 10, 15, 20 minutes each.
IRRITABILITY TEST
The Irritability test on the laboratory produced bleach solution shows that there was no irritation because these were moderate concentration of chlorine. But the irritability test for commercially produced bleach solution shows that there were irritations on the samples due to excessive chlorine concentration.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
CLEANSING ABILITY
Due to the experiment carried out and with the help of the results, the researchers were able to conclude that sample III, which was most concentrated, was the most effective of all the bleach samples.
However, because of its unpleasant smell and possible reaction to the user, the level of chlorine advocated by Federal Development Agriculture (FEDA), and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) should be maintained in the production of bleach solution.
Generally, for a 50mls of water sample saturated for about 10 minutes, yields an acceptable bleach solution capable of removing any stain after washing for about 5 minutes. At this, concentration, the smell was acceptable and appealing to the end user and non irritating and hence will make a better market.
RECOMMENDATION
It is therefore recommended that further work be done on the aspect of bleach solution to see if acceptable smell is produced.
And also, we should encourage laboratory production of bleach, so that the small-scale industries can grow and chlorine produced will not be wasted.
REFERENCES
- Ababid Osei Yam (1984): New School Chemistry Published by Africana, Fep Publishers Limited. Pages 159 – 440.
- Clugston, M. J. Fraze M. J., Atkins P.hl and Jones R. A. Y. (1988): Chemistry Principles and Applications. Page 350.
- Frank, B., Frank C. P., Seymoul, S. and Stanley, M. (1978): Chemistry.
- A Modern Introduction, W. B. Saunder, Company Philandelphia; London, Toronto (2nd edition); page 624.
- Gram-Hill M. C. (1967): McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (Volume 6th edition); pages 612 – 614.
- Holidays, A. K. and C. Chambers (1982): Inorganic Chemistry Butterworth Scientific. Page. 302.
- Jeeves, J. (2000): World Wide Web (WWW. ask.com) on History of Bleach Solution and Detergent.
