Bleaching powder

Description

Common name for Calcium hypochlorite. Bleaching powder was introduced in 1799. It was prepared by the reaction of chlorine gas on slaked lime which resulted in an impure Lime, chlorinated mixture containing calcium hypochlorite and calcium chloride. Bleaching powder was the primary bleaching agent until 1925 when liquid chlorine bleaches (sodium hypochlorite) were introduced.

Synonyms and Related Terms

chloride of lime; chlorinated lime; calcium oxychloride; calcium hypochlorite; calcium chlorohypychlorite; chemic

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 186

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Website: www.hants.org.uk/museums - conservation termlist