Definition

1. Noun:
   • The process of disinfecting water by adding small amounts of chlorine or a chlorine compound. This is a common method to kill harmful bacteria and pathogens in public water supplies and swimming pools.
   • The addition or substitution of chlorine into organic compounds. This is a chemical reaction used in industrial and laboratory settings to create chlorinated compounds.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The city ensures water safety through the chlorination of the municipal supply.
  • The chemist explained the process of chlorination used to synthesize the new pharmaceutical compound.

Advanced Usage

• "Breakpoint chlorination": A specific water treatment process where enough chlorine is added to react with all contaminants, resulting in free chlorine for disinfection.

  • The pool maintenance schedule includes breakpoint chlorination to ensure water clarity and safety.

• "Electrophilic chlorination": A type of chemical reaction where a chlorine atom is added to an organic molecule.

  • The laboratory experiment demonstrated electrophilic chlorination of benzene.

Variants and Related Words

• Chlorinate (verb): To treat or combine with chlorine.

  • The facility will chlorinate the water before distribution.

• Chlorinator (noun): A device used to add chlorine to water.

  • The new chlorinator improved the efficiency of the treatment plant.

• Dechlorination (noun): The process of removing chlorine from water or a compound.

  • Dechlorination is necessary before releasing the treated wastewater into the river.

Synonyms

• Disinfection (specifically when referring to water treatment).
• Halogenation (a broader chemical term for adding halogen elements like chlorine, bromine, etc.).

Related Phrases

• "Shock chlorination": A process of adding a large dose of chlorine to a water system to disinfect it, often used for wells or pools.
  • After the flood, shock chlorination was performed on the contaminated well.

Noun

1. disinfection of water by the addition of small amounts of chlorine or a chlorine compound
2. the addition or substitution of chlorine in organic compounds