explain the hor alkali process
Answers
The electrolysis of brine is an industrial process for the electrolysis of sodium chloride. It is the technology used to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide (lye/caustic soda),[1] which are commodity chemicals required by industry. 35 million tons of chlorine were prepared by this process in 1987.[2] Industrial scale production began in 1892.
Usually the process is conducted on a brine (an aqueous solution of NaCl), in which case NaOH, hydrogen, and chlorine result. When using calcium chloride or potassium chloride, the products contain calcium or potassium instead of sodium. Related processes are known that use molten NaCl to give chlorine and sodium metal or condensed hydrogen chloride to give hydrogen and chlorine.
When electricity is passed through an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (called brine), it decomposes to form sodium hydroxide. This process is called the chlor alkali process because the product formed is chlor for chlorine and alkali for sodium hydroxide.
2NaCl + 2H2O-> 2NaOH + Cl2 + H2