Description of experiment
Below follows a plain text transcript of the selected experiment.
Needed compounds:
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bleach : NaClO
acetic acid : CH3COOH
glycol : CH2OHCH2OH
Class:
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elem=C,Cl
organic
Summary:
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Ethylene glycol does not easily form a hypochlorite ester like ethanol or other
mono-alcohol.
Description:
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Mix 0.5 ml of ethylene glycol with 1 ml of acetic acid: The liquids mix without
issue. Some swirling is sufficient to have them both mixed.
Slowly add the liquid to a few ml of bleach, containing 12% active chlorine and
swirl: There is slight production of gas, but only marginally. When the liquid
is shaken, a little bit more gas is produced. The gas mix above the liquid
becomes pale green, some chlorine is formed, but it is not much. No oily liquid
separates, the liquid remains pale yellow/green, the color of the bleach.
Gently heat the liquid: A lot of colorless gas is produced. The green color of
the bleach disappears. The liquid becomes colorless and then the production of
gas ceases. The gas is not flammable, when a flame is kept near the gas, then
nothing happens. The gas also is odorless (or has a very weak odor). During the
experiment a little chlorine can be smelled, no other special smells.
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Based on the results of this experiment, it looks like glycol is oxidized
completely to CO2 by bleach under the acidic conditions of this experiment.
There is no indication, pointing in the direction of formation of an insoluble
hypochlorite ester. This is in stark contrast with mono-alcohols, which are
quickly converted to the hypochlorite ester, which either escapes as a gas, or
settles as a yellow liquid on top of the aqueous layer. This hypochlorite ester
is very flammable, the methylester even is expl