Salt Chlorination

Millions of people worldwide enjoy swimming pool activities every year. Traditionally, chlorine-containing chemicals have been used as the sanitizing agent. Some chlorine containing chemicals used include chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, lithium hypochlorite, and chlorinated isocyanurates. These chemicals enter the pool as a concentrated solution, or in the form of hypochlorite salt tablets, to form the killing agent, hypochlorous acid. Currently, a new way to produce hypochlorous acid has been developed. The theory is based on an electrolysis reaction using an electrolytic cell. The cell utilizes common table salt, NaCl , in solution. Passing a current through the solution liberates chlorine ions, Cl , at the anode, and hydroxide ions, OH − , at the cathode. These reactions are illustrated below : 2 2 2 Cl Cl e − − → + (1)