Carbon Tetrachloride Formula

Chemical Formula for Carbon Tetrachloride 

Physical Properties:

Appearance: It is a colorless liquid.

Odor: It has a sweet, chloroform-like odor.

Density: About 1.59 g/cm³ at 20°C.

Boiling Point: The boiling point is roughly 76.7°C (170°F).

Melting Point: The melting point is roughly -22.9°C (-8.2°F).

Solubility: It is insoluble in water, but it is soluble in organic solvents like alcohol, ether and benzene.

Vapor Pressure: The vapor pressure is pretty high, so it has substantial evaporation at room temperature.

Chemical properties

Reactivity: Carbon tetrachloride is not very reactive, although it will react with some strong oxidizing agents under appropriate conditions.

Hydrolysis: In the presence of water and in the presence of particular catalysts carbon tetrachloride may hydrolysis to give hydrochloric acid and carbon dioxide, a reaction that is extremely slow.

Photolysis: Carbon tetrachloride is broken down through photolysis by UV light, yielding chlorine and other reactive species. It is significant in atmospheric chemistry because it contributes to the ozone layer depletion in the atmosphere.

Substitution Reactions: In addition, carbon tetrachloride undergoes substitution reactions when it reacts to hydrogen or metal elements and yields different chlorinated compounds.

Formation of free radicles: This nongaseous, colorless liquid also forms free radicals under specific conditions and is believed to initiate chain reactions in organic chemistry.

Application

It has been used as a solvent in industrial processes for thousands of years where it is able to dissolve a wide range of organic materials, ranging from oils and fats to resins. 

It has also been used extensively as a refrigerant in cooling systems and as an intermediate in the synthesis of other refrigerants, though these uses have largely gone out of favor due to its contribution to ozone depletion.

In the dry cleaning process for fats, oils, and greases, carbon tetrachloride is used as a solvent. However, safer solvents are now preferred in such industries.

Carbon tetrachloride is used as a chemical intermediate in the formation of chlorinated compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). However, because of environmental regulations, its usage in such the CFC formation has declined.

Carbon tetrachloride is a laboratory reagent used in analytical chemistry to carry out several reactions and as a solvent in the laboratory.

It has been used as a fire extinguishing agent in some fire extinguishers, especially for electrical fires, since it is non-conductive.

Conclusion

Carbon tetrachloride is one of the most useful versatile compounds, since it functions as a solvent, refrigerant, cleaning agent, and so on. However, with concerns for toxicity, carcinogenic properties, and its participation in ozone depletion, it has faced strict regulations in terms of its usage, hence rather rare in industries now that more safer substitutes are available.

Other Related Sections

NCERT Solutions | Sample Papers | CBSE SYLLABUS| Calculators | Converters | Stories For Kids | Poems for Kids| Learning Concepts | Practice Worksheets | Formulas | Blogs | Parent Resource