A major outlet for perchloroethylene is as a chemical intermediate, particularly in the manufacture of the refrigerant hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) 134a. Perchloroethylene is also an important solvent used in commercial and industrial dry cleaning and vapour degreasing of metal parts.
Environmental pressure and improved recycling will lead to a decline in percholoroethylene’s use for dry cleaning in the US and Europe. However, this could be offset by growth in other regions of the world and its use as a chemical intermediate.
The oxychlorination of EDC is the favoured perchloroethylene process by some producers where EDC is fed with chlorine and oxygen into a fluidised bed containing a catalyst. It can also be made by reacting chlorine with C1-C3 hydrocarbons, with ethane being the most favoured, or from chlorinated hydrocarbon wastes.
Perchloroethylene is colourless liquid with an odour like ether or chloroform. It is non-flammable and non-explosive under normal conditions.
Perchloroethylene
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Perchloroethylene
Uses and Outlook
A major outlet for perchloroethylene (perc, also called tetrachloroethylene) is as a chemical intermediate, particularly as the basic raw material in the manufacture of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) 134a, an alternative to chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants. It is also used in the synthesis of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) 123 and 124 and HFC 125.
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Perchloroethylene
Process Technologies
Traditionally, perchloroethylene was produced by reacting acetylene with chlorine via trichloroethylene as an intermediate but acetylene has now been replaced by a variety of feedstocks such ethylene dichloride (EDC), C1-C3 hydrocarbons or chlorinated hydrocarbon wastes. The decline in demand for carbon tetrachloride and CFCs has also led to the switch of processes.
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