Production of oxygen in a submarine

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    Oxygen Submarine
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The discussion centers on the chemical reactions involved in a specific type of candle that contains iron and sodium chlorate. The key point is that burning iron generates heat through the formation of iron oxide, which facilitates the breakdown of sodium chlorate, releasing additional oxygen. The initial confusion arises from the assumption that iron oxide contributes significantly to oxygen production. However, it is clarified that the role of iron is primarily to provide the necessary heat for the sodium chlorate to decompose, which is responsible for the majority of oxygen release. The iron content in the candle is relatively low, approximately 10% by weight, and only a portion of it is consumed in the reaction. This understanding highlights the interplay between the two chemicals in enhancing oxygen generation.
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Hi,

I was watching the following video.

Around 17:00 the following is said:

Okay. It wasn't until I got off the sub,
when I totally understood what was going on here.
But the two main chemicals in this candle were iron and sodium Chlorate.
When you burn iron,
that's adding oxygen to the iron and you're creating iron oxide.
You're actually creating heat. That's the burning of the candle.
But when you do that, there's also sodium chlorate in the candle.
And that heat from the iron oxide is liberating oxygen from the sodium chlorate.
and in doing so you actually get more oxygen from the chemical reaction.

I tried to balance the chemical equation as presented in the video. Please have a look below. I don't see how the production of iron oxide yields more oxygen in the entire reaction. The heating of sodium chlorate produces three molecules of oxygen and these molecules are then used to oxidize iron. Where am I going wrong? Thanks, in advance!

1613963851934.png
 
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Chemistry news on Phys.org
Any idea how much iron is in there ?
 
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hmmm27 said:
Any idea how much iron is in there ?

Don't know! What am I missing here?

PS: I think I get it now.

The reaction of iron with oxygen is there only to provide heat so that sodium chlorate could break down. In other words, there isn't that much of iron there; only enough to provide the required heat. Therefore, more oxygen is released from the break down of sodium chlorate.

1613971122286.png

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_oxygen_generator#Oxygen_candle
 
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