Pentachloroethane

Last updated
Pentachloroethane
Pentachloroethane.svg
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
Pentachloroethane
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.000.842 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 200-925-1
KEGG
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • KI6300000
UNII
UN number 1669
  • InChI=1S/C2HCl5/c3-1(4)2(5,6)7/h1H
    Key: BNIXVQGCZULYKV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • InChI=1/C2HCl5/c3-1(4)2(5,6)7/h1H
    Key: BNIXVQGCZULYKV-UHFFFAOYAS
  • C(C(Cl)(Cl)Cl)(Cl)Cl
Properties
C2HCl5
Molar mass 202.09 g mol−1
AppearanceColorless liquid
Odor Sweetish, chloroform-like
Density 1.68 g cm−3
Melting point −29 °C (−20 °F; 244 K)
Boiling point 162 °C (324 °F; 435 K)
0.05% (20°C) [1]
Vapor pressure 3 mmHg (20°C) [1]
-99.1·10−6 cm3/mol
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS-pictogram-silhouette.svg GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg
Danger
H351, H372, H411
P201, P202, P260, P264, P270, P273, P281, P308+P313, P314, P391, P405, P501
NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)
none [1]
REL (Recommended)
Handle with care in the workplace [1]
IDLH (Immediate danger)
N.D. [1]
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Pentachloroethane is a chemical compound of chlorine, hydrogen, and carbon with the chemical formula C2HCl5. It is a colourless non-flammable liquid that is used as a solvent for oil and grease, in metal cleaning, and in the separation of coal from impurities.

Contents

Production and uses

Victor Regnault obtained Pentachloroethane from chlorination of various chlorinated ethanes in 1839. [2]

Pentachloroethane can be obtained by chlorination of trichloroethylene and ethylene-catalysed chlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane. [3] Pentachloroethane can also be obtained by the reaction of acetylene and chlorine, catalysed by aluminium chloride and antimony trichloride. [4] It can be made as a byproduct of tetrachloroethylene production.

Pentachloroethane has limited uses as a solvent for oils and grease (especially in metal cleaning), in soil sterilisation, to remove impurities in coal and as a desiccant agent for wood. It was formerly used as a dry-cleaning solvent for a short time. It is rarely used since there are safer and more economical alternatives such as tetrachloroethylene.

It can be used as a precursor to tetrachloroethylene. [5] Activated carbon-catalysed reaction of pentachloroethane and calcium chloride gives tetrachloroethylene by dehydrochlorination.

Safety

Although it is not flammable, pentachloroethane can oxidise to give phosgene and trichloroacetyl chloride in presence of oxygen at high temperatures. Pentachloroethane is not biodegradable and it can be toxic to aquatic life. It is toxic for humans.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetylene</span> Hydrocarbon compound (HC≡CH)

Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2 and structure H−C≡C−H. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution. Pure acetylene is odorless, but commercial grades usually have a marked odor due to impurities such as divinyl sulfide and phosphine.

The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula HCl and as such is a hydrogen halide. At room temperature, it is a colorless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric water vapor. Hydrogen chloride gas and hydrochloric acid are important in technology and industry. Hydrochloric acid, the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, is also commonly given the formula HCl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon tetrachloride</span> Chemical compound

Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (such as carbon tet for short and tetrachloromethane, also recognised by the IUPAC) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CCl4. It is a non-flammable, dense, colourless liquid with a "sweet" chloroform-like odour that can be detected at low levels. It was formerly widely used in fire extinguishers, as a precursor to refrigerants and as a cleaning agent, but has since been phased out because of environmental and safety concerns. Exposure to high concentrations of carbon tetrachloride can affect the central nervous system and degenerate the liver and kidneys. Prolonged exposure can be fatal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetrachloroethylene</span> Chemical compound in very wide use

Tetrachloroethylene, also known under the systematic name tetrachloroethene, or perchloroethylene, and abbreviations such as "perc", and "PCE", is a chlorocarbon with the formula Cl2C=CCl2. It is a colorless liquid widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics, hence it is sometimes called "dry-cleaning fluid". It also has its uses as an effective automotive brake cleaner. It has a mild sweet, sharp odor, detectable by most people at a concentration of 50 ppm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinyl chloride</span> Chemical compound

Vinyl chloride is an organochloride with the formula H2C=CHCl. It is also called vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) or chloroethene. This colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Vinyl chloride monomer is among the top twenty largest petrochemicals (petroleum-derived chemicals) in world production. The United States remains the largest vinyl chloride manufacturing region because of its low-production-cost position in chlorine and ethylene raw materials. China is also a large manufacturer and one of the largest consumers of vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a flammable gas that has a sweet odor and is carcinogenic. It can be formed in the environment when soil organisms break down chlorinated solvents. Vinyl chloride that is released by industries or formed by the breakdown of other chlorinated chemicals can enter the air and drinking water supplies. Vinyl chloride is a common contaminant found near landfills. Before the 1970s, vinyl chloride was used as an aerosol propellant and refrigerant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1,1,1-Trichloroethane</span> Solvent, now banned for ozone depletion

The organic compound 1,1,1-trichloroethane, also known as methyl chloroform and chlorothene, is a chloroalkane with the chemical formula CH3CCl3. It is an isomer of 1,1,2-trichloroethane. This colorless, sweet-smelling liquid was once produced industrially in large quantities for use as a solvent. It is regulated by the Montreal Protocol as an ozone-depleting substance and its use is being rapidly phased out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trichloroethylene</span> C2HCl3, widely used industrial solvent

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a halocarbon with the formula C2HCl3, commonly used as an industrial degreasing solvent. It is a clear, colourless, non-flammable, volatile liquid with a chloroform-like pleasant mild smell and sweet taste. Its IUPAC name is trichloroethene. Trichloroethylene has been sold under a variety of trade names. Industrial abbreviations include TCE, trichlor, Trike, Tricky and tri. Under the trade names Trimar and Trilene, it was used as a volatile anesthetic and as an inhaled obstetrical analgesic. It should not be confused with the similar 1,1,1-trichloroethane, which is commonly known as chlorothene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allyl chloride</span> Chemical compound

Allyl chloride is the organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCH2Cl. This colorless liquid is insoluble in water but soluble in common organic solvents. It is mainly converted to epichlorohydrin, used in the production of plastics. It is a chlorinated derivative of propylene. It is an alkylating agent, which makes it both useful and hazardous to handle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloroprene</span> Chemical compound

Chloroprene (IUPAC name 2-chlorobuta-1,3-diene) is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH2=CCl−CH=CH2. Chloroprene is a colorless volatile liquid, almost exclusively used as a monomer for the production of the polymer polychloroprene, better known as neoprene, a type of synthetic rubber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlorobenzene</span> Aromatic organochlorine compound

Chlorobenzene is an aryl chloride and the simplest of the chlorobenzenes, consisting of a benzene ring substituted with one chlorine atom. Its chemical formula is C6H5Cl. This colorless, flammable liquid is a common solvent and a widely used intermediate in the manufacture of other chemicals.

The chemical compound 1,2-dichloroethane, commonly known as ethylene dichloride (EDC), is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. It is a colourless liquid with a chloroform-like odour. The most common use of 1,2-dichloroethane is in the production of vinyl chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, furniture and automobile upholstery, wall coverings, housewares, and automobile parts. 1,2-Dichloroethane is also used generally as an intermediate for other organic chemical compounds, and as a solvent. It forms azeotropes with many other solvents, including water and other chlorocarbons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon tetrabromide</span> Chemical compound

Carbon tetrabromide, CBr4, also known as tetrabromomethane, is a bromide of carbon. Both names are acceptable under IUPAC nomenclature.

Benzyl chloride, or α-chlorotoluene, is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2Cl. This colorless liquid is a reactive organochlorine compound that is a widely used chemical building block.

1,2-Dichloroethene, commonly called 1,2-dichloroethylene or 1,2-DCE, is the name for a pair of organochlorine compounds with the molecular formula C2H2Cl2. They are both colorless liquids with a sweet odor. It can exist as either of two geometric isomers, cis-1,2-dichloroethene or trans-1,2-dichloroethene, but is often used as a mixture of the two. They have modest solubility in water. These compounds have some applications as a degreasing solvent. In contrast to most cis-trans compounds, the Z isomer (cis) is more stable than the E isomer (trans) by 0.4 kcal/mol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1,2-Dichlorobenzene</span> Chemical compound

1,2-Dichlorobenzene, or orthodichlorobenzene (ODCB), is an aryl chloride and isomer of dichlorobenzene with the formula C6H4Cl2. This colourless liquid is poorly soluble in water but miscible with most organic solvents. It is a derivative of benzene, consisting of two adjacent chlorine atoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propargyl alcohol</span> Chemical compound

Propargyl alcohol, or 2-propyn-1-ol, is an organic compound with the formula C3H4O. It is the simplest stable alcohol containing an alkyne functional group. Propargyl alcohol is a colorless viscous liquid that is miscible with water and most polar organic solvents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane</span> Chemical compound

1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. It is a colorless liquid with a sweet chloroform-like odor. It is used as a solvent and in the production of wood stains and varnishes. It is an isomer of 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hexachlorobutadiene</span> Chemical compound

Hexachlorobutadiene, (often abbreviated as "HCBD") Cl2C=C(Cl)C(Cl)=CCl2, is a colorless liquid at room temperature that has an odor similar to that of turpentine. It is a chlorinated aliphatic diene with niche applications but is most commonly used as a solvent for other chlorine-containing compounds. Structurally, it has a 1,3-butadiene core, but fully substituted with chlorine atoms.

1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, also called trichlorotrifluoroethane or CFC-113, is a chlorofluorocarbon. It has the formula Cl2FC−CClF2. This colorless, volatile liquid is a versatile solvent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perchloromethyl mercaptan</span> Chemical compound

Perchloromethyl mercaptan is the organosulfur compound with the formula CCl3SCl. It is mainly used as an intermediate for the synthesis of dyes and fungicides (captan, folpet). It is a colorless oil, although commercial samples are yellowish. It is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. It has a foul, unbearable, acrid odor. Perchloromethyl mercaptan is the original name. The systematic name is trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride, because the compound is a sulfenyl chloride, not a mercaptan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0482". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
  2. Quadrichlorinated Hydrochloric Ether in Gmelin, L., Hand-book of Chemistry
  3. NLM Hazardous Substances Data Bank entry for [ ]
  4. Jian, Panming; He, Yongzhi. Method for producing pentachloroethane using acetylene and chlorine. 2018. CN 108546228 A
  5. Sittig's Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, p. 2067, ISBN   1-4377-7869-0.