OXIDATION OF MANGANATE BY HYPOCHLORITE
The oxidation of potassium manganate to potassium permanganate by potassium hypochlorite has been examined. The rate of the reaction is proportional to the square of the manganate concentration and the first power of the hypochlorite, and it is inversely proportional to the permanganate concentration and to the square of the hydroxide ion concentration. It seems probable that the reaction involves the intermediate formation of hypomanganate ions from a relatively fast disproportionation of manganate, followed by a slower oxidation by hypochlorite. The following mechanism is tentatively proposed:[Formula: see text]Data on the over-all rate and effective activation energy (19.6 kcal/g-molecule) are given; but at present it is not possible to separate all the rate constants and equilibrium constants.