Breakpoint chlorination is important to understand for systems using chloramination, or in chlorination systems where ammonia might be present, such as wastewater systems.
Important Terms to Know
> Free chlorine: combination of Cl2, HOCl, and OCl-
> Combined chlorine: consists of mostly chloramines, which are formed when ammonia is added to free chlorine, yielding monochloramine (NH2Cl), dichloramine (NHCl2), trichloramine (NCl3), and organic chloramines
> Total chlorine: sum of free and combined chlorine
The shape of the curve and the relative concentrations depend on characteristics of your system such as temperature, pH, and what organic species are present. Still have questions? Contact a Kuntze representative to learn more.