Process for producing high test hypochlorite and calcium chloride aqueous solution

A process for producing high test hypochlorite and a calcium chloride aqueous solution comprising the steps of:

• (a) dispersing calcium hydroxide in an aqueous solution substantially comprising calcium chloride to prepare milk of lime,
• (b) chlorinating said milk of lime to crystallize calcium hypochlorite dihydrate in the presence of the prismatic calcium hypochlorite dihydrate seed crystals having an a:b:c axial ratio of 0.5≦b/a≦2.0 and c/a≧1.5 and a c-axis of 5 μm or greater to prepare a slurry of coarse calcium hypochlorite dihydrate crystals,
• (c) separating said slurry into a wet cake of calcium hypochlorite dihydrate crystals and a mother liquor containing calcium hypochlorite and calcium chloride,
• (d) drying said wet cake of calcium hypochlorite dihydrate obtained in (c) to provide high test hypochlorite, and
• (e) adding hydrochloric acid to said mother liquor obtained in (c) above or bringing said mother liquor into contact with an oxide of at least one of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Pd to decompose said calcium hypochlorite to obtain a calcium chloride aqueous solution.