Perchloroethylene (chemical formula: C2Cl4) is a colorless liquid with a peculiar odor. It is an environmentally stable organic compound that is not easily combustible, but can react violently with oxygen, strong oxidizing agents and heat.

Perchloroethylene is mainly used in industrial production and has a wide range of applications. It is one of the important raw materials for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is used to make plastics, pipes, insulating materials and coatings. In addition, perchloroethylene can be used as a solvent in processes such as degreasing, metal cleaning and chemical synthesis.

Basic Information

Use

Due to its relatively low toxicity, good thermal stability, and strong degreasing ability, tetrachloroethylene can also be recycled and reused, so it has been widely used in the dry cleaning industry. From the 1940s to 2012, in dry cleaning It has been used safely and successfully for over 60 years and is recognized by the laundry industry as the best dry cleaning solvent.

With the improvement of people's quality of life, more and more attention has been paid to the impact of human beings on the environment and the side effects of various daily necessities, so the toxicity of tetrachloroethylene has also begun to be concerned.

folding chemical properties

The median lethal dose (LD50): (rat, oral) 13g/kg; (mice, oral) 8.4g/kg

Generally does not burn, but it can still burn when exposed to open flame and high temperature for a long time. Decomposed by high heat to produce toxic and corrosive fumes.

Function and use

Tetrachloroethylene is widely used, mainly used as organic solvent, dry cleaning agent, metal degreasing solvent, and also used as anthelmintic. Tetrachloroethylene can be used as fat extraction agent, fire extinguishing agent and smoke screen agent, etc. It can also be used to synthesize trichloroethylene and fluorine-containing organic compounds.

physical properties

Appearance and Properties: Colorless liquid with chloroform-like odor.

Melting point (°C): -22.2

Relative density (water=1): 1.63

Boiling point (℃): 121.2

Relative vapor density (air=1): 5.83

Molecular formula: C2Cl4

Molecular weight: 165.82

Saturated vapor pressure (kPa): 2.11 (20°C)

Combustion heat (kJ/mol): 679.3

Critical temperature (°C): 347.1

Critical pressure (MPa): 9.74

Log value of octanol/water partition coefficient: 2.88

Solubility: Insoluble in water, miscible in most organic solvents such as ethanol and ether.