Javelle water
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Javelle water
Javelle Water
an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite, NaCIO, with an admixture of sodium chloride, NaCl. Javelle water has a bleaching effect.
The name “Javelle water” was originally applied in 1789 to the bleaching fluid made in a chemical works in the Paris suburb of Javelle; it was made by passing chlorine into a cold solution of potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate:
2KOH + CI2 = 2KCIO + H2O
or
K2CO3 + CI2 = KCIO + KCI + CO2
In 1822 the French pharmacist A. J. Labarraque (1777–1850), by treating a sodium carbonate solution (Na2CO3) with chlorine, prepared a bleaching fluid (Labarraque’s solution) that completely replaced Javelle water and was less costly to prepare. In the course of time, the name “Javelle water” was transferred to Labarraque’s solution, which, along with chlorinated lime, is used extensively for bleaching in the paper and textile industries.