Trichloroethylene
Trichloroethylene is a chlorinated hydrocarbon with a molecular formula of C2HCl3. It is a colourless liquid with a sweet smell and it is miscible with largely organic solvents but is only slightly miscible in water.This manufactured goods is a non-flammable liquid, having no measurable flashpoint or inflammable restrictions in air,and it also evaporates easily in the air.
Production
The majority of
Trichloroethylene is created by a straight chlorination method. Ethylene is chlorinated at high temperatures over the catalyst ferric chloride to generate 1.2-dichloroethane. This is then heated to around 400? C, with added chlorine, to form trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene which are then separated by distillation.
Storage and distribution
Trichloroethylene should be kept in drummed containers such as isotanks made of stainless steel, aluminium or carbon steel and itistransported by tank truck or tank car. It should be stored in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated facility away from oxidising agents.
For transportation purposes, trichloroethylene is classified as road class 6.1 and should be labelled as toxic. It is also classified as pack group II.
Uses
Trichloroethylene is an important industrial solvent for a variety of reasons. It is an helpful solvent for a variety of organic materials, has high stability and vapour density, a low specific heat, a relatively high boiling point, a low latent heat of vaporisation, and relative non-flammability. Trichloroethyleneis broadly used in the aerospace, appliance, and automotive industriesas a vapour degreaser of zinc, aluminium, brass, bronze, and steel parts. It is also used in metal production as a cold cleaning solvent that can clean aluminium, and sheet and strip steel.It is also used extensively as a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of hydroflurocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluroethane and is also used as a molecular weight control agent in the manufacture of PVC. It is also employed in the production of other chemicals (e.g. insecticides and fungicides).Trichloroethylene is also used as an extraction solvent for greases, oils, fats, waxes, and tars and is a solvent employed in waterless dyeing and finishing operations, and a solvent used in non-flammable adhesive formulations.
Trichloroethylene is also utilised by the textile processing industry where it is used to scour cotton, wool, and other fabrics, and it is also used in the electronics industry to clean electronic components, although a special grade of trichloroethylene is used for this.Trichloroethylene is found in the house as a component of consumer products such as paint stripper, adhesive, metal cleaners, spot removers, varnishes, carpet cleaning fluids, and correction fluids. The main user end market is the plastics, metal, paints, adhesive and cleansing industries.
