Sodium chlorite
A solid oxidiser used to bleach textiles and treat water, and one of the few substances that can ignite ordinary household material on contact.
What not to do
Sodium chlorite is unsafe on Natural rubber
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Wear gloves
- Wear eye protection
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Sodium Chlorite (RTK 1689)
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That sodium chlorite is not compatible with natural rubber, and with aldehydes, ketones and iron. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Wear gloves
- Wear eye protection
- Keep away from children and pets
- Dispose of responsibly
In detail
Sodium chlorite is a white crystalline powder or flake, described by the regulator as used for improving the taste and odour of potable water and as a bleaching agent for textiles, paper pulp, varnishes, waxes and straw products. Two things about it are worth knowing, and neither is a domestic recommendation. The first is that it is the precursor from which chlorine dioxide is generated, and consumer products sold for odour and mould treatment frequently involve one or the other while describing themselves in the vocabulary of ordinary bleach. The second is a behaviour it shares with calcium hypochlorite, and two independent sheets describing the same thing is what makes it a rule rather than an anecdote: mixed with organic materials it becomes a fire hazard, and storage is specified cool, dry and well ventilated away from flame and combustible materials. A solid oxidiser meeting paper, wood, oil or garden waste is a different proposition from a dilute solution meeting the same things. It is also incompatible with strong acids, with natural rubber, and with aldehydes, ketones and iron.
Properties
- Chemical name
- Sodium chlorite
- pH
- Alkaline
Why
- Sodium chlorite is explained by Oxidation and bleaching
Sources for this page
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Sodium Chlorite (RTK 1689)
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That sodium chlorite is used for improving the taste and odour of potable water and as a bleaching agent for textiles, paper pulp, varnishes and waxes, that mixed with organic materials it is a fire hazard, and that it is incompatible with strong acids, natural rubber, aldehydes, ketones and iron. (states this directly)