Accessibility statement

Oxidising Agents

Oxidising agents are chemicals that bring about an oxidation reaction. The oxidising agent may provide oxygen to the substance being oxidised (in which case the agent has to be oxygen or contain oxygen) or receive electrons being transferred from the substance undergoing oxidation (chlorine is a good oxidising agent for electron-transfer purposes, even though it does not contain oxygen). The intensity of the oxidation reaction depends on the oxidising-reducing potential of the material involved. Fire or explosion is possible when strong oxidising agents come into contact with easily oxidisable compounds, such as metals, metal hydrides or organics. Because oxidising agents possess varying degrees of instability, they can be explosively unpredictable.

Gases Fluorine, chlorine, ozone, nitrous oxide, oxygen
Liquids Hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, perchloric acid, bromine, sulphuric acid
Solids Nitrites, nitrates, perchlorates, chromates, dichromates, picrates, permanganates, hypochlorites, bromates, iodates, chlorites, chlorates, persulphates.