Chlorine and its Uses in Water Treatment

These days there is a lot of concern about the safety of the water we are drinking. Chemicals in your water can be a very bad thing, but some chemicals are also used to purify and clean water. Water Treatment plants used a variety of chemicals like Calcium Hydroxide, Carbon Dioxide, Hydrated Aluminum Sulphate, Polyelectrolyte, Ozone, and Chlorine.

The symbol for the chemical element Chlorine is (Cl) with an atomic number of 17. It falls in to the halogen group and is the lightest in the group after fluorine. In standard form, Chlorine is a green and yellow gas that combines directly with almost any other element. The element was originally mistaken for oxygen and was discovered by Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1774. It is an extremely powerful oxidizing agent with many uses not only in gas form, but also in both solid and liquid states.

Chlorine’s high potential for oxidation lead to increased research into uses for both commercial and industrial purposes. It is now used widely as a sanitation or disinfecting agent and also in manufacturing various consumer products that contain organic chemicals. The two most commonly used compounds of chlorine are sodium chloride (NaCl) and hydrogen chloride (HCl). Sodium Chloride is more commonly known as table salt and is used around the world to season food. Hydrogen Chloride is a form of hydrochloric acid and its high acidity makes it an ideal compound across many industries.

The most common uses for Chlorine are water purification and Water Treatment. The United States Department of Treasury issue a directive in 1918 that all drinking water was to be disinfected with chlorine. It was found to be a much more effective disinfectant that either Bromine or Iodine when use in equivalent concentrations. Chlorine is an excellent chemical for killing bacteria and microbes that grow in water. Solutions are added at Water Treatment facilities to slowly release the chemical into the water supply. The levels are high enough to kill the bacteria but low enough as to not cause harm during human consumption.

Whether it’s to keep your swimming pool clean or to purify your drinking water, Chlorine is an essential chemical to the entire process. Call Angel Water today and find out more about our Chlorine Injection Systems and other Water Treatment solutions!