Trichloroethylene

Description

Colorless liquid with a chloroform odor. Trichloroethylene has been used as a solvent for fats, oils, waxes, resin resins, natural rubber, plastics, paints, and varnishes. It was widely used for degreasing and dry-cleaning, but by 1990 its usage was banned in many states.

Synonyms and Related Terms

trichloroethene; 1,1,2-trichloroethylene; ethylene trichloride; westrosol; Tri-Clene [DuPont]; Trethylene; Chlorylene;

Chemical structure

Other Properties

Miscible with organic solvents. Insoluble in water.

Composition	CHCl:CCl2
CAS	79-01-6
Melting Point	-73
Density	1.456-1.462
Molecular Weight	mol. wt.= 131.4
Refractive Index	1.4735
Boiling Point	86.7

Hazards and Safety

Nonflammable but decomposes with heat to produce toxic fumes. Potential carcinogen. Toxic by inhalation. Usage prohibited in some states. Skin contact causes irritation.

LINK: International Chemical Safety Card

Authority

• G.S.Brady, G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 303

• Reed Kay, Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983

• Ralph Mayer, Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Richard S. Lewis, Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Michael McCann, Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 9769; ref. index=1.4735

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index=1.475