WHY does bleach destroy cotton?
Im doing an experiment 4 a science fair 2 find out why my sisters shorts fell apart after my mom soaked them in full strength bleach. I kinda understand that it destroys the bonds between the fabric but i need further explanation!! Thank You!
Answer:
You've got two things going on here:
1) Bleach is basic. Really basic. It's pH is better than 11, usually. That much base can remove the H from an OH group (which cellulose, the chemical compound that makes up cotton, is full of). Once that happens, the cellulose is ionic and is capable of dissolving into water.
2) Bleach is an oxidant. A pretty gosh darn good oxidant. Cellulose, again, the main "ingredient" in cotton, is a big molecule with lots of -OH groups. The bleach can oxidize those -OH groups and eventually turn one big molecule into lots of smaller ones.
Putting these together, if the bleach first reacts to turn the cellulose molecules into a bunch of smaller molecules, and then the base in the bleach removes one of the "H's" left over on unreacted -OH groups, it'll readily dissolve.
That's what is going on here.
If I could have given Curt TWO thumbs up, I would have.
More Questions and Answers:
Mass percent?
Buffer (Preparation)?
Equilibrium Constants?
Which of these substances react with vinegar?
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1?
Chemistry Help!!?
What is the bohrs law?
For nice people?
Answer:
You've got two things going on here:
1) Bleach is basic. Really basic. It's pH is better than 11, usually. That much base can remove the H from an OH group (which cellulose, the chemical compound that makes up cotton, is full of). Once that happens, the cellulose is ionic and is capable of dissolving into water.
2) Bleach is an oxidant. A pretty gosh darn good oxidant. Cellulose, again, the main "ingredient" in cotton, is a big molecule with lots of -OH groups. The bleach can oxidize those -OH groups and eventually turn one big molecule into lots of smaller ones.
Putting these together, if the bleach first reacts to turn the cellulose molecules into a bunch of smaller molecules, and then the base in the bleach removes one of the "H's" left over on unreacted -OH groups, it'll readily dissolve.
That's what is going on here.
If I could have given Curt TWO thumbs up, I would have.
The answers post by the user, for information only, FunQA.com does not guarantee the right.
More Questions and Answers: