Chlorine lime contains atomic chlorine - a gas with a very high reactivity. If you add bleach to the brake fluid, a violent chemical reaction will occur with the release of gas and subsequent ignition. However, often when these components are mixed, nothing happens. We will tell you what conditions are necessary for the reaction to proceed, and also describe in detail the mechanism of interaction.

Composition of components and reagents

Brake fluid contains polyglycols - polymeric forms of polyhydric alcohols (ethylene glycol and propylene glycol), boric acid polyesters and modifiers. Bleach contains hypochlorite, calcium hydroxide, and calcium chloride. The main reagent of the brake fluid is polyethylene glycol, and in bleach it is hypochlorite. There is also a liquid form of chlorine-containing household products in which sodium hypochlorite serves as an oxidizing agent.

Process description

If you mix bleach and brake fluid, you can see an intense reaction with abundant gas evolution. The interaction does not occur immediately, but after 30–45 seconds. After the formation of a geyser, the gaseous products ignite, which often ends in an explosion.

Reaction mechanism

In the experiment, freshly prepared bleach is used. Instead of chlorine, sodium hypochlorite can be used, which contains up to 95% active chlorine. At the beginning, the hypochlorite salt decomposes with the formation of atomic chlorine:

NaOCI → NaO + + CI -

The formed chloride ion bombards the ethylene glycol (polyethylene glycol) molecule, which leads to the destabilization of the polymer structure and the redistribution of the electron density. As a result, a monomer, formaldehyde, is separated from the polymer chain. The ethylene glycol molecule is converted into an electrophilic radical, which reacts with another chloride ion. At the next stage, acetaldehyde is separated from the polymer and ultimately the simplest alkene, ethylene, remains. The general scheme of decay is as follows:

Polyethylene glycol ⇒ Formaldehyde; Acetaldehyde; Ethylene

The destructive destruction of ethylene glycol under the action of chlorine is accompanied by the release of heat. Moreover, ethylene and formaldehyde are flammable gases. Thus, as a result of heating the reaction mixture, the gaseous products are ignited. If the reaction rate is too fast, an explosion occurs due to the spontaneous expansion of the gas-liquid mixture.

Why doesn't the reaction happen?

Often, when mixing brake fluid and bleach, nothing is observed. This happens for the following reasons:

• Old household bleach is used

When stored outdoors, calcium hypochlorite slowly decomposes to calcium carbonate and calcium chloride. The active chlorine content is reduced to 5%.

• Low temperature

For the reaction to proceed, it is required to warm up the brake fluid to a temperature of 30-40 ° C

• Not enough time has passed

A radical chain reaction occurs with a gradual increase in speed. It will take about 1 minute for the visual changes to appear.

Now you know what will happen if you mix bleach with brake fluid and how the interaction takes place.

Replies: 4

A question for connoisseurs: If you mix brake fluid with a chlorine-based detergent, smoke will come out. There will be a lot of smoke ???

Best regards, Tatiana Kalinina

Best Answers

Academka:

And you don't have enough smoke everywhere? ...

Descended from heaven to Paradise

… .You will not have time to see it - doctors will bother you….

Video response

This video will help you understand

Answers from experts

Aleksandr Vladimirovich:

brake only of one composition, and interfere with antifreeze at least with antifreeze

Dmitry Sosnovskikh:

Lei the same or compatible

Alexey Kaskeev:

Antifreeze is better all drained and replaced with antifreeze. And the brakes, take honey. take a little syringe from the tank and mix with the same amount of the other (which you want to top up). And look, if it curls up, then they do not fit together. Better yet, drain everything and fill in everything new (respectively, without forgetting to pump the brakes later!).

Alexander Zhanpeisov:

"I bought a car recently ..." - I think it's a vaz. So the brake is most likely "Dew" (transparent color), if red - BSK. You can't interfere. Sediment will precipitate and clog the tubes. As for antifreeze, type in the search engine "10 myths about antifreeze" - you will not regret reading it.

Oleg Zlanepomnyashchy:

I would have looked first at the brake overpass, then the brake cylinders. Tormozuhu, on the domestic one changed once every three years. Antifreeze, why is it needed? Lei antifreeze, some pluses, for example ARCTIC.

Yandex iillt

antifreeze is an antifreeze, only some of our other additives were invented, and when the cold war began, the Americans forced us to buy a patent -type this is our invention, they sent us and called it-antifreeze-and with the brake, hammer the friggin all the brakes practically from one barrel-although they will tell you a lot I myself have 4 auto services - we interfere and interfere and we will interfere -90 percent drive and do not know that we have mixed them there remember me - do not pour out this jar - leave it like a monument to loshars - show

Chlorine lime contains atomic chlorine - a gas with a very high reactivity. If you add bleach to the brake fluid, a violent chemical reaction will occur with the release of gas and subsequent ignition. However, often when these components are mixed, nothing happens. We will tell you what conditions are necessary for the reaction to proceed, and also describe in detail the mechanism of interaction.

Brake fluid contains polyglycols - polymeric forms of polyhydric alcohols (ethylene glycol and propylene glycol), boric acid polyesters and modifiers. Bleach contains hypochlorite, calcium hydroxide, and calcium chloride. The main reagent of the brake fluid is polyethylene glycol, and in bleach it is hypochlorite. There is also a liquid form of chlorine-containing household products in which sodium hypochlorite serves as an oxidizing agent.

Process description

If you mix bleach and brake fluid, you can see an intense reaction with abundant gas evolution. The interaction does not occur immediately, but after 30–45 seconds. After the formation of a geyser, the gaseous products ignite, which often ends in an explosion.

Reaction mechanism

In the experiment, freshly prepared bleach is used. Instead of chlorine, sodium hypochlorite can be used, which contains up to 95% active chlorine. At the beginning, the hypochlorite salt decomposes with the formation of atomic chlorine:

NaOCI → NaO + + CI

The formed chloride ion bombards the ethylene glycol (polyethylene glycol) molecule, which leads to the destabilization of the polymer structure and the redistribution of the electron density. As a result, a monomer, formaldehyde, is separated from the polymer chain. The ethylene glycol molecule is converted into an electrophilic radical, which reacts with another chloride ion. At the next stage, acetaldehyde is separated from the polymer and ultimately the simplest alkene, ethylene, remains. The general scheme of decay is as follows:

Polyethylene glycol ⇒ Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, Ethylene

The destructive destruction of ethylene glycol under the action of chlorine is accompanied by the release of heat. Moreover, ethylene and formaldehyde are flammable gases. Thus, as a result of heating the reaction mixture, the gaseous products are ignited. If the reaction rate is too fast, an explosion occurs due to the spontaneous expansion of the gas-liquid mixture.

Why doesn't the reaction happen?

Often, when mixing brake fluid and bleach, nothing is observed. This happens for the following reasons:

• Old household bleach is used

When stored outdoors, calcium hypochlorite slowly decomposes to calcium carbonate and calcium chloride. The active chlorine content is reduced to 5%.

• Low temperature

For the reaction to proceed, it is required to warm up the brake fluid to a temperature of 30-40 ° C

• Not enough time has passed

A radical chain reaction occurs with a gradual increase in speed. It will take about 1 minute for the visual changes to appear.

Now you know what will happen if you mix bleach with brake fluid and how the interaction takes place.