Hello all,

Chlorine bleach plus acid  gives off Chlorine gas, this is greenish if
you can see it and is deadly.

Chlorine plus alkali (lye) is a powerful cleaner, good for removing
protein films etc which is whch is why it also is good as a
disinfectant. (It also can be really hard on human skin)

It works on all organic  material and so will break down  in wood
quickly, so may not be too effective on spores which may be
protected by the wood).

I have forgotten all the chemistry but believe that  free chlorine (the
dangerous stuff) starts to be released at pH 9 and below.  Low
concentrations are OK  which are in drinking water, (which has a
pH of around 7 or slightly below)  but when you are mixing
handfulls  together there is danger.

I can not remember the pH below  7 where all the chlorine is free,
perhaps someone else can help here.

pH is a measure of alkalinity or acidity.  pH 1 - 6.9  is acid pH 7.1 -
14 is alkaline  pH 7 is neutral  (pure distilled water)

People that can give better advice on these issues are cleaning
and detergent companies such as  Ecolab, Diversey and many
others.  Water treatment companies  also can assist. Commercial
chemists can also assist.

For the record I have seen Lye / Caustic Soda / NaOH sodium
Hydroxide jump 30 feet / 10 metres  when a 20 kg /45lb bag was
dumped into  boiling water.  (always mix in cold water, slowly,  so
the heat of dissolution can only warm the water not make it boil)

I have also seen a person washing a milk tanker (25,000 litre)   mix
acid, caustic and chlorine to do an all in one wash.  It really
bubbled and funny coloured gasses came off.  Instead of  reducing
the time of washing  we spent  more time washing the deadly and
useless cocktail away.  For the chemists the acid and alkali would
have neutralised  each other to salts and I have no Idea what the
chlorine would have done in the middle, however  green gas came
out , and it was not a pleasant place to be at the time.

Please seek expert advice when working with these chemicals,
wear gloves, eye proetction  and a protective apron and if you see
or smell a gas that is unpleasant run like hell.




Andrew & Judy Weinert
69 Lawler St
North Perth
Western Australia  6006

phone +61 (0)8 9443 1463
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