Definition and Usage Areas of Tetrachlorethylene

Tetrachlorethylene is a chlorinated hydrocarbon used as a solvent and coolant used in industrial transformers. It is a colorless, volatile, non-flammable liquid with an ether-like odor. The majority of tetrachlorethylene is produced by high-temperature chlorinolysis of light hydrocarbons. It is an excellent solvent for organic materials.

Perchloroethylene is a non-flammable but volatile solvent. Even 1 ppm in the air has a strong odor that can be noticed by humans. Perchloroethylene is produced from dichloroethane. Since trichloroethylene is another by-product released during this reaction, these two chemicals are then separated from each other by the distillation technique. Like all other chlorinated solvents, perchloroethylene has a depressant effect on the nervous system. Contact with its vapor, dizziness, headache, It may cause drowsiness, loss of consciousness. Since perchloroethylene will completely dissolve the oil in the skin in continuous contact with human skin, it may cause serious skin problems. Its solubility in water is limited, but it is completely miscible with solvents such as ethanol, acetone, and chloroform.

Usage areas

• Perchloroethylene is used as a solvent in many applications. Many organic substances are soluble in perchloroethylene.
• It is the most commonly used solvent in dry cleaning.
• It is also used in automotive and other metal-related industries to remove oils on metal.
• It is included as an ingredient in consumer products such as grout and stain remover. Another usage area is the production of refrigerants such as HCFC.
• It is volatile, stable, and non-flammable and therefore widely used in dry cleaning. It can also be used for degreasing metal parts in the automotive and other metalworking industries after mixing with other chlorocarbons.
• It can also be used in neutrino detectors.
• Metal Cleaning/Degreasing
• Dry Cleaning: For cleaning textiles such as silk, wool, leather,
• Electronics: Electronic precision parts cleaning (such as printers, screens, electrical circuit boards, soldering devices)