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tetrachloroethylene

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tetrachloroethylene

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Also known as perchlorethylene, perchloroethylene, tetrachlorethylene, ethylene tetrachloride, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethene, dicarbon tetrachloride, carbon bichloride

Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or under the systematic name tetrachloroethene, and abbreviations such as perc, and PCE, is a chlorocarbon with the formula . It is a volatile, non-flammable, stable, colorless and dense liquid widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and as a metal degreasing solvent, formerly as an oral anthelmintic. It has a mild, sweet, sharp odor, detectable by most people at a concentration of 50 ppm.

Chemical data

Formula
C2Cl4
Molecular weight
165.8 g/mol
IUPAC name
1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethene
SMILES
C(=C(Cl)Cl)(Cl)Cl
InChIKey
CYTYCFOTNPOANT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
XLogP
3.4
Polar surface area
0 Ų
H-bond donors
0
H-bond acceptors
0
Formal charge
0

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Research

2,267 papers

via PubMed

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Encyclopedic overview

19 sections
Contents
  • History and production
  • Uses
  • Historical applications
  • Chemical properties and reactions
  • Oxidation
  • Chlorination
  • Nitration
  • Thermal decomposition
  • Health and safety
  • Metabolism
  • Neurotoxicity
  • Carcinogenicity
  • Testing for exposure
  • International advisories and compliance
  • Environmental effects
  • Remediation and degradation
  • Explanatory notes
  • References
  • External links

Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or under the systematic name tetrachloroethene, and abbreviations such as perc, and PCE, is a chlorocarbon with the formula . It is a volatile, non-flammable, stable, colorless and dense liquid widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and as a metal degreasing solvent, formerly as an oral anthelmintic. It has a mild, sweet, sharp odor, detectable by most people at a concentration of 50 ppm.

Because of its wide usage, tetrachloroethylene has been extensively assessed as a potential hazard, resulting in government publications about its potential for neurotoxicity and carcinogenesis from chronic or repeated exposure. Improper disposal has caused groundwater pollution.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “tetrachloroethylene” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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