i've heard that one can produce sodium hypochlorite by pumping chlorine gas into a saturated solution of sodium hydroxide. i've also heard that if the solution were boiling, one could produce sodium chlorate, some of which precipitates immediately due to solubility rules, but the rest of which forms interesting looking crystals upon continuous boiling followed by cooling. of course, this sounds like much fun to produce.

 

i was wondering if a better yield would be produced if i were to use potassium hydroxide

 

i was also wondering how much hypochlorite would be formed in the process.

 

and finally, i was wondeirng what sort of apparatus to use. i was thinking about generating chlorine which would rise through a tube and finally below the surface of the solution, but does anyone have other ideas? having a volumetric flask would be most helpful in this situation but i dont have one:\

with regard to potentially useful glassware, i do however, have a glass funnel, u tube, 500mL florence flask, and a few 400-500mL beakers.

Which method you're going to use for the chlorine generation?

If tube with gas goes into the liquid then you need gas source that has very even gas flow, preferably with controlled strength. Otherwise solution tends to rise in tube and flood up your gas generator. I usually do such kind of experiments not puting tube into the solution put slightly above the surface of solution. This is usally enough to get thing working and no need to stay nearby and watch all the time.

Chlorine plus hydroxide does produce the hypochlorite ion. Basically, that's how bleach is made on the industrial scale. When you generate chlorine using some hypochlorite and acid, you're just doing the reverse.

yes, but when the solution is boiling you make chlorate from what i am told. i would imagine a significant amount of hypochlorite and chlorite would be produced however. that is one of my questions; how much of both of these products will be formed?