Chlorination
Chlorination
Chlorination (/klɔːrɪˈneɪʃən/) is a process that involves the addition of chlorine or chlorine compounds to a substance. The term is often used to refer to the disinfection of water to make it safe for human consumption, but it can also refer to other processes, such as the chlorination of organic compounds in the chemical industry.
Etymology
The term "chlorination" comes from the Greek word "chloros," meaning greenish-yellow, which is the color of chlorine gas. The suffix "-ation" is added to indicate the action or process of adding chlorine.
Process
In the context of water treatment, chlorination involves adding a measured amount of chlorine to water to kill or deactivate harmful microorganisms. The chlorine reacts with the water to form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions, which are powerful disinfectants.
In the chemical industry, chlorination is used to add chlorine atoms to organic compounds. This can be done through a variety of methods, including free radical chlorination, electrophilic chlorination, and nucleophilic chlorination.
Related Terms
- Chlorine: A chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. It is a greenish-yellow gas that is a powerful oxidizing agent.
- Disinfection: The process of eliminating or reducing harmful microorganisms from an environment.
- Organic compound: A compound that contains carbon atoms, usually in combination with hydrogen atoms and sometimes other elements as well.
- Free radical chlorination: A type of chlorination that involves the reaction of chlorine with an organic compound in the presence of heat or light.
- Electrophilic chlorination: A type of chlorination that involves the reaction of an organic compound with a chlorine electrophile.
- Nucleophilic chlorination: A type of chlorination that involves the reaction of an organic compound with a chlorine nucleophile.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Chlorination
- Wikipedia's article - Chlorination
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