http://www.pqs.org/ingl.htm

My boss found this article on how to make "bleach". We sell quite a bit of chlorine for our business and consume it for one of his other businesses. We buy around 3-5k gallons a month.

I tried this little experiment and it worked, so I'm trying to design a batch plant where I can scale it up and make 1-2 thousand gallons at a time. I have a couple questions on this.

When I scale it up the quantities of salt and water, do I have to scale up the "charcoal" stick also. I'm able to find compressed carbon sticks through a science supply place but they are only 5" long. I'm assuming I need one several feet long of lots of small ones (pain in the ass?) if I have a big tank. Where do I find something like that.

Does the carbon/charcoal stick have to be replaced every batch or does it last awhile?

I was just going to use a battery charger as the power source to experiment.

Any help would be appreciated, i'm trying to save myself from buying a $80,000 batch plant.

from the article:


Surface area is the key here, as noted in the article. So, yes, you need to scale it up.

Chem E here and I would advise you not to do this unless you are a PE.  I havent researched this, but from that "article" you are forming chlorine gas, which if you scaled to a large batch without proper ventilation/capture could be hazardous.  Also is this process exothermic?  If so you have to incorporate cooling.  There are a multitude of other factors, but a batch process would probably not be worth it.  Plus, manufacturing chemicals can be problematic.  Are you going to analyze the solution? (Provide a COA for it)

Dont do it... Bleach is cheap.

I would concur.  If you're currently using sodium hypochlorite (bleach) then you won't make it cheaper than a bleach manufacturer.  If you aren't using bleach then what is your source for chlorine and is bleach an acceptable subsitute?  If it is then buy bleach because it's cheap.  

This method can produce bleach (sodium hypochlorite) but it will definitely produce chlorine gas (corrosive fun), hydrogen gas (explosive fun) and sodium hydroxide.  All of this can mitigated with appropriate controls but it won't be cheap.  It should also mean something that none of the commercial bleach manufacturers use this method.

This,

I understand bleach is so cheap that Clorox doesn't even make it anymore, they just buy and brand it.

Pool shock?

NaOH is no joke either.

at least it isn't T-butyl lithium


Op what are your credentials?

After reading the "article" and reviewing your questions I'm going to say please don't try making 1000-2000 gal. of this stuff at once. It is simple chemistry, but you are not a chemical engineer. Tell your boss to hire a chemical engineer or atleast consult one. If my boss asked me to do this I would tell him to take a hike and I have a degree in chemistry. I don't know what facilities you have or even what knowledge you have but based on the fact that you

1. don't understand how the electrode works in the reaction

2. don't understand what factors control the rate of reaction

I would say you are in over your head.

Be prepared for tons of new regulations. The Cl gas will put you in the area of Scd Chemicals and the next thing you know you are dealing more heavily with the EPA, and even the the CWC, which the nation is behind on for compliance already due to slow destruction of old chem weapons.