what is chlor-alkali process? write the chemical reaction taking place in the form of chemical equation.. what are the gases liberated at the anode and cathode respectively.
It is a type of decomposition reaction.
When electricity is passed through an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (called brine), it decomposes to form sodium hydroxide. The process is called the chlor-alkali process because of the products formed- chlor for chlorine and alkali for sodium hydroxide. Following is the chemical equation for the process
2NaCl (aq) + 2H2O (l) → 2NaOH (aq) + Cl2 (g) + H2 (g)
Chlorine gas is liberated at the anode while hydrogen gas is liberated at the cathode.