DECOMPOSITION OF SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE: THE CATALYZED REACTION

The catalyzed decomposition of sodium hypochlorite has been examined; the catalysts tried were manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, and copper oxides. It was shown that in no case was the decomposition to chlorate and chloride accelerated, only the reaction to chloride and oxygen. Manganese and iron did not catalyze even the latter reaction, or only to a very small extent; this was in fairly concentrated sodium hypochlorite containing some sodium hydroxide. The manganese and iron are largely oxidized to permanganate and ferrate under these conditions. It was found that copper could catalyze the formation of permanganate and ferrate, and nickel the formation of permanganate. Cobalt catalyzed the reaction going to oxygen, and the rate was proportional to the cobalt added, but little dependent on the hypochlorite concentration; the same is true of nickel. Copper (as reported earlier) gives a catalyzed reaction not far from first order in hypochlorite. The activation energies were measured, and were consistent with the relative catalytic activity of these metals. The mechanism of the reaction is briefly discussed.