Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Will chlorate decompose in a swimmng pool

Simoski - 20-12-2019 at 23:26

Hi

I currently have about 20 liters of water that I used to purify potassium chlorate, it is from green cell so no dichromates are present.

Can I just throw it into my swimming pool and wait for a few days as the chlorate ions reduce to chlorine by UV light?

Simoski - 28-12-2019 at 05:55

anyone?

Obviously the hypochlorite ion does but as chlorine gets to the +5 oxidation state is Ultra Violet light capable of reducing it back to its elemental state?

Tellurium - 28-12-2019 at 07:30

To be honest I don't really think so. Because hypochlorites are generally the most unstable salts of chlorooxo acids. Stability of these goes up the more oxygens are on the chlorine. So stability is like HOCl < HClO2 < HClO3 < HClO4 and also in reactions with organics chlorate doesn't react most of the time, at least when in alkaline or neutral medium. But you could easily destroy your chlorate using some HCl.
HCl gets oxidized to Cl2 and water, while your chlorate is reduced to chloride:
KClO3 + 6 HCl -> KCl + 3 Cl2 + 3 H2O

Simoski - 28-12-2019 at 11:11

Rad, solved mate!

You're saying throw it in the pool and then throw in the pool acid. HCl.

Thanks Tellurium


Tellurium - 29-12-2019 at 13:37

You're welcome! I would put in the HCl before throwing it into the pool, because you will have a higher concentration of HCl and the reaction will proceed faster. But be aware, that you will introduce quite some Cl2 to your pool - I don't know how much a pool normaly has or how big your pool is, but it will definately destroy the chlorate ;)