Chlorate

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The chlorate ion ClO₃⁻.

A chlorate (compound) is a compound that contains this group, with chlorine in oxidation state +5.

Contents 1 Examples 2 Preparation 3 Discussion 4 Stock notation

[edit] Examples

ClO₃⁻ has a trigonal pyramidal structure.

• potassium chlorate, KClO₃

• sodium chlorate, NaClO₃

• magnesium chlorate, Mg(ClO₃)₂

See category for a bigger list.

[edit] Preparation

Metal chlorates can be prepared by adding Chlorine to hot metal hydroxides, for example, KClO₃:

3Cl₂ + 6KOH → 5KCl + KClO₃ + 3H₂O

Industrial scale synthesis for sodium chlorate starts from sodium chloride. If the electrolysis is not done with the method described at chlorine, but a mixing of the devoloping chlorine and the sodium hydroxide is allowed, the reaction mentioned above takes place. The heating to 50-70°C is done by the electrical power applied for electrolysis.

[edit] Discussion

Chlorates are the salts of chloric acid.

Chlorates are powerful oxidizers and should be kept away from organics or easily reducible materials. Chlorates were once widely used in pyrotechnics, though their use has fallen due to their instability. Most pyrotechnic applications which used chlorates in the past now use perchlorates instead.

[edit] Stock notation

If a Roman numeral in brackets follow the word "chlorate", this refers to the oxyanion containing chlorine in the respective oxidation state, namely:

Name	Oxidation state	Formula
Chlorate(I)	+1	ClO−
Chlorate(III)	+3	ClO2−
Chlorate(V)	+5	ClO3−
Chlorate(VII)	+7	ClO4−

Using this convention, "chlorate" means any chlorine oxyanion. However, Stock notation for chlorine is quite uncommon, and "chlorate" typically refers only to the +5 oxidation state.