Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(3)

Key Documents

371696

Sigma-Aldrich

Tetrachloroethylene

anhydrous, ≥99%

Synonym(s):

PCE, Perchloroethylene

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Linear Formula:
CCl2=CCl2
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
165.83
Beilstein:
1361721
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12352101
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.04

grade

anhydrous

Quality Level

vapor density

5.83 (vs air)

vapor pressure

13 mmHg ( 20 °C)
19 mmHg ( 25 °C)

Assay

≥99%

form

liquid

technique(s)

FTIR: suitable

impurities

<0.002% water
<0.005% water (100 mL pkg)

evapn. residue

<0.0005%

refractive index

n20/D 1.505 (lit.)

bp

121 °C (lit.)

mp

−22 °C (lit.)

solubility

water: soluble 0.15 g/L at 25 °C

density

1.623 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

SMILES string

Cl\C(Cl)=C(\Cl)Cl

InChI

1S/C2Cl4/c3-1(4)2(5)6

InChI key

CYTYCFOTNPOANT-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, PCE), is a chlorinated ethylene compound commonly used as a dry cleaning and degreasing solvent. It shows IR transparency as it has no C–H bonds making it an ideal solvent for IR spectroscopy. PCE is a man-made pollutant which is difficult to degrade. It is a ground water contaminant which has adverse effect on human health due to its potential toxicity and carcinogenicity. Some of the methods proposed for its degradation are Fenton oxidation treatment, reductive dehalogenation under methanogenic condition, and reduction using zero valent metal ions. One of the methods reported for its synthesis is from ethylene dichloride and chlorine.

Application

Tetrachloroethylene may be used as a film-forming electrolyte additive in the manufacture of lithium ion batteries. It may also be used as an extractant for the estimation of oil and grease in water by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).
Tetrachloroethylene may be used as a starting material in the synthesis of unsym.-heptachloropropane. It may also be used as a solvent in the preparation of 1-chloro-1-(trichloroethenyl)cyclopropane from tetrachlorocyclopropene and ethylene.

Signal Word

Warning

Hazard Classifications

Aquatic Chronic 2 - Carc. 2 - Eye Irrit. 2 - Skin Irrit. 2 - Skin Sens. 1 - STOT SE 3

Target Organs

Respiratory system

Storage Class Code

6.1C - Combustible acute toxic Cat.3 / toxic compounds or compounds which causing chronic effects

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

No data available

Flash Point(C)

No data available

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Choose from one of the most recent versions:

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Lot/Batch Number

Don't see the Right Version?

If you require a particular version, you can look up a specific certificate by the Lot or Batch number.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

D Ryoo et al.
Nature biotechnology, 18(7), 775-778 (2000-07-11)
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is thought to have no natural source, so it is one of the most difficult contaminants to degrade biologically. This common groundwater pollutant was thought completely nonbiodegradable in the presence of oxygen. Here we report that the wastewater
unsym.-heptachloropropane
Farlow MW
Organic Syntheses, 17, 58-58 (1937)
1-Chloro-1-(trichloroethenyl)cyclopropane
Liese T, et al.
Organic Syntheses, 69, 144-144 (1990)
Validation of a FT-IR method for the determination of oils and grease in water using tetrachloroethylene as the extraction solvent.
Farmaki E, et al.
Desalination, 210(1), 52-60 (2007)
Robert DM and Murphy B.
Chlorinated Solvents: A Forensic Evaluation, 84-85 (2013)

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service