Difference Between Chlorine and Chloramine

The key difference between chlorine and chloramine is that chlorine is a gaseous compound consisting of two chlorine atoms per molecule whereas chloramine is a class of gaseous compounds consisting of ammonia molecules with chlorine substitutions.

Chlorine gas has the chemical formula Cl2. The chemical formula of chloramine varies with the chlorine substitution; one, two or all three hydrogen atoms of ammonia can be substituted with chlorine atoms.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Chlorine
3. What is Chloramine
4. Side by Side Comparison – Chlorine vs Chloramine in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Chlorine?

Chlorine is a gaseous compound that has a yellow-green color and an irritating odor. In chemical terms, it refers to the chemical element which has the atomic number 17. It is among the halogens of the periodic table of elements (group 7 elements are termed as halogens). But in general terms, the term chlorine refers to the chlorine gas.

Chlorine gas is a strong oxidizing agent. The molar mass of this gas is 70 g/mol and the chemical formula is Cl₂. Therefore, it is a diatomic gas. This gas is commonly used as a disinfectant and cleaning agent. And also, it is a potent irritant to the eye and lungs. The inhalation of the chlorine gas is toxic. This gas is slightly soluble in water and the gas can be readily liquefied by applying pressure (at room temperature).

Figure 01: Chlorine Gas in a Bottle

Chlorine gas is not flammable but it can support burning (like oxygen gas does). The vapor of this gas is heavier than the normal air. Therefore, if this gas is in a container with normal air, it remains in the bottom part of the container (sinks to the bottom since it is comparatively heavy). Chlorine gas can be used to purify water in swimming pools and spa. In addition, it can bleach wood pulp. Moreover, this gas is used to make other chlorine-containing chemicals.

What is Chloramine?

Chloramine is a gaseous compound having the chemical formula NH₂Cl. This compound belongs to a class of compounds that has one, two or all three hydrogen atoms of an ammonia molecule substituted with chlorine atoms (monochloramine {chloramine, NH₂Cl}, dichloramine {NHCl₂}, and nitrogen trichloride {NCl₃}). There the term monochloramine refers to the general term “chloramine”.

Figure 02: Chloramine Structure (blue – nitrogen, white- hydrogen, green – chlorine)

The molar mass of this gas is 51.47 g/mol. It is a colorless gas. The melting point of chloramine is −66 °Cat which, this gas converts into an unstable liquid state. However, the handling of this compound is as a dilute aqueous solution; hence, sometimes it can act as a disinfectant. Since the liquid state is very unstable, it is difficult to measure the boiling point of chloramine. It is useful in water disinfection. Furthermore, it is favorable than chlorine gas because it is less aggressive and more stable against the light.

What is the Difference Between Chlorine and Chloramine?

Summary – Chlorine vs Chloramine

Chlorine and chloramine are gases that essentially have chlorine atoms in their chemical structure. The difference between chlorine and chloramine is that chlorine is a gaseous compound consisting of two chlorine atoms per molecule whereas chloramine is a class of gaseous compounds consisting of ammonia molecules with chlorine substitutions.

Reference:

1. “Chlorine – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table.” Royal Society of Chemistry – Advancing Excellence in the Chemical Sciences. Available here
2. “Chlorine.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available here  
3. “Chloramine.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 May 2018.  Available here  

Image Courtesy:

1.’Chlorine in bottle’ By W. Oelen (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia  
2.’Chloramine-3D-balls’ By Jynto and Ben Mills (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 

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