Chlorine is a toxic gas with corrosive properties. It is widely used as bleach in the manufacture of paper and cloth and in manufacturing solvents, pesticides, synthetic rubber, and refrigerants.

1992 "The loose term 'chlorine' is generally used by the industry to mean 'available chlorine' and 'residual chlorine' to refer to hypochlorous acid." "In solution, chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite produce the same active ingredient, hypochlorous acid."