Truck and Track Autumn 2026 www.truckandtrack.com 64 DANGEROUS GOODS What are Oxidation, Reduction and Redox Reactions? Chemical reactivity can be considered a by-product of ‘matter’ attaining ‘stability’ from an understanding of atomic structure, where negatively charged electrons (held in ‘shells’ or ‘energy levels’) orbit the nucleus (which consists of tightly held protons and neutrons). The transfer of negatively-charged electrons to produce full ‘shells’ or ‘energy levels’ in an ionic reaction, produces stability. Oxidation is used to describe a loss of electrons. It can also be used to describe a gain of oxygen. Reduction is used to describe the gain of electrons. It can also be used to describe a loss of oxygen. Redox Reaction is when both Oxidation and Reduction occur (simultaneously) in the same reaction. An oxidising agent causes another species to be oxidised (lose electrons) and is itself reduced as it gains the electrons. A reducing agent causes another species to be reduced (gain electrons) and is itself oxidised as it loses the electrons. Consider Rusting – a chemical reaction that requires water and oxygen to covert elemental Iron into molecular Iron (III) Oxide. 4Fe + 3O2 + 6H2O → 4Fe(OH)3 When (elemental) iron reacts with oxygen, each iron atom loses 3 electrons, forming an iron ion represented as Fe3+. The iron has been oxidised in this process and has therefore acted as the reducing agent. The iron has also been oxidised because it has gained oxygen to become (the more stable) iron (III) oxide. When oxygen reacts with iron, each oxygen atom receives 2 electrons, forming an oxide ion representing as O2-. The oxygen has been reduced and has therefore acted as the oxidising agent. Iron Oxide is far more stable as a molecule that elemental Iron or elemental/molecular Oxygen. Rusting is the reaction process that Iron and Oxygen (in the presence of water) undergoes to become more stable – namely a molecule that is Iron (III) Oxide. Background to Oxygen Elemental Oxygen (in the periodic table) is a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides (such The Hazards of “Oxidation and Reduction” within the DG Supply Chain by Ali Karim Ali Karim In this issue, our Dangerous Goods Columnist, Ali Karim FRSC CChem provides our readers an insight into the dangers of reactivity with Oxygen (Class 2), Oxidising Agents (Class 5.1) and Organic Peroxides (Class 5.2) when carried (or warehoused) within the Dangerous Goods Supply Chain TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TOALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk Corrosive chemical tanks
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