Overview

Carbon tetrachloride (CAR-bun tet-ra-KLOR-ide) is a colorless, nonflammable liquid with a sweetish odor and a density 1.5 times that of water. The compound is classified as a halogenated hydrocarbon because all of the hydrogens in methane (CH₄), a hydrocarbon, have been replaced by halogen atoms (chlorine, in this case). Carbon tetrachloride was first prepared in 1839 by German-born French chemist Henri Victor Regnault (1810–1878). Regnault made carbon tetrachloride by reacting chloroform (trichloromethane; CHCl₃) with chlorine: CHCl₃ + Cl₂ → CCl₄ + HCl.

Key Facts

Other Names:

Tetrachloromethane; perchloromethane

Formula:

CCl₄

Elements:

Carbon, chlorine

Compound Type:

Halogenated hydrocarbon; alkyl chloride (organic)

State:

Liquid

Molecular Weight:

153.82 g/mol

Melting Point:

−22.62°C (−8.72°F)

Boiling Point:

76.8°C (170°F)

Solubility:

Insoluble in water; miscible with ethyl alcohol, ether, benzene, chloroform, and most other organic solvents

Until the mid-twentieth century, carbon tetrachloride had a number of important applications, including use as a dry cleaning fluid, a refrigerant...