Chlorate

Chlorates are the salts of chloric acid HClO3. They contain, as the anion chlorate ion ( ClO3 - ). Chlorine in this case has an oxidation number of 5. Important chlorates are sodium chlorate, potassium chlorate and Aluminiumchlorat.

Most chlorates are strong and spontaneous response oxidant. Mixtures of chlorates with reducing agents were formerly referred to as explosives and detonating (see Chloratsprengstoffe ) is used. Today they are no longer used for this purpose because of its friction sensitivity and the tendency to spontaneous reaction.

Bond structure

By Lewis notation only one mesomeric structure of the chlorate ion is usually depicted. In fact, all Cl -O bonds are identical, which comes through the same length of all ties to the expression ( for example, potassium chlorate 1:49 Å)