Carbon tetrachloride

Carbon tetrachloride
Structural formula of tetrachloride	Space-filling model carbon tetrachloride
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name Tetrachloromethane
	Other names Benzinoform; carbon(IV) chloride ; carbon tet; Carboneum Tetrachloratum / Carbonei tetrachloridum; Carboneum Chloratum / Carbonei chlorurum; chloride of carbon; Freon-10; Halon-104 ; methane tetrachloride ; methyl tetrachloride ; Necatorina ; perchloromethane; Refrigerant-10; Tetrachloretum Carbonicum; Tetrachlorocarbon; Tetraform; Tetrasol
Identifiers
CAS Number	56-23-5 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Abbreviations	CTC, TCM, PCM, R-10
Beilstein Reference	1098295
ChEBI	CHEBI:27385 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL44814 ;
ChemSpider	5730 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.000.239
EC Number	200-262-8;
Gmelin Reference	2347
KEGG	C07561 ;
PubChem CID	5943;
RTECS number	FG4900000;
UNII	CL2T97X0V0 ;
UN number	1846
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID8020250 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/CCl4/c2-1(3,4)5 Key: VZGDMQKNWNREIO-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; InChI=1/CCl4/c2-1(3,4)5 Key: VZGDMQKNWNREIO-UHFFFAOYAV;
	SMILES ClC(Cl)(Cl)Cl;
Properties
Chemical formula	CCl4
Molar mass	153.81 g·mol−1
Appearance	Colourless liquid
Odor	chloroform-like odor
Density	1.5867 g·cm−3 (liquid); 1.831 g·cm−3 at −186 °C (solid); 1.809 g·cm−3 at −80 °C (solid);
Melting point	−22.92 °C (−9.26 °F; 250.23 K)
Boiling point	76.72 °C (170.10 °F; 349.87 K)
Solubility in water	0.097 g/100 mL (0 °C); 0.081 g/100 mL (25 °C);
Solubility	Soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzene, naphtha, CS2, formic acid
log P	2.64
Vapor pressure	11.94 kPa at 20 °C
Henry's law; constant (kH)	2.76×10−2 atm·m3/mol
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−66.60×10−6 cm3/mol
Thermal conductivity	0.1036 W/m·K (300 K)
Refractive index (nD)	1.4607
Viscosity	0.86 mPa·s
Dipole moment	0 D
Structure
Crystal structure	Monoclinic
Coordination geometry	Tetragonal
Molecular shape	Tetrahedral
Dipole moment	0 D
Thermochemistry
Heat capacity (C)	132.6 J/mol·K
Std molar; entropy (S⦵298)	214.39 J/mol·K
Std enthalpy of; formation (ΔfH⦵298)	−95.6 kJ/mol
Gibbs free energy (ΔfG⦵)	−87.34 kJ/mol
Hazards
	Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards	extremely toxic to the liver and kidneys, potential occupational carcinogen, harmful to the ozone layer
	GHS labelling:
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H301, H302, H311, H331, H351, H372, H412, H420
Precautionary statements	P201, P202, P260, P261, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P281, P301+P310, P302+P352, P304+P340, P308+P313, P311, P312, P314, P321, P322, P330, P361, P363, P403+P233, P405, P501, P502
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	3 0 0
Flash point	non-flammable
	Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	7749 mg/kg (oral, mouse); 5760 mg/kg (oral, rabbit); 2350 mg/kg (oral, rat)
LC50 (median concentration)	5400 ppm (mammal); 8000 ppm (rat, 4 hr); 9526 ppm (mouse, 8 hr);
LCLo (lowest published)	1000 ppm (human); 20,000 ppm (guinea pig, 2 hr); 38,110 ppm (cat, 2 hr); 50,000 ppm (human, 5 min); 14,620 ppm (dog, 8 hr);
	NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)	TWA 10 ppm C 25 ppm 200 ppm (5-minute maximum peak in any 4 hours)
REL (Recommended)	Ca ST 2 ppm (12.6 mg/m3)
IDLH (Immediate danger)	200 ppm
Safety data sheet (SDS)	ICSC 0024
Related compounds
Other anions	Carbon tetrafluoride ; Carbon tetrabromide ; Carbon tetraiodide
Other cations	Silicon tetrachloride; Germanium tetrachloride; Tin tetrachloride; Lead tetrachloride
Related chloromethanes	Chloromethane; Dichloromethane; Trichloromethane
Supplementary data page
	Carbon tetrachloride (data page)
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (such as carbon tet for short and tetrachloromethane, also recognised by the IUPAC) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CCl₄. It is a non-flammable, dense, colourless liquid with a "sweet" chloroform-like odour that can be detected at low levels. It was formerly widely used in fire extinguishers, as a precursor to refrigerants and as a cleaning agent, but has since been phased out because of environmental and safety concerns. Exposure to high concentrations of carbon tetrachloride can affect the central nervous system and degenerate the liver and kidneys. Prolonged exposure can be fatal.

Tradenames include: Carbon-Tet, Katharin (Germany, 1890s),^[7] Benzinoform, Carbona and Thawpit in the cleaning industry, Halon-104 in firefighting, Refrigerant-10 in HVACR, and Necatorina and Seretin as a medication.

Properties

In the carbon tetrachloride molecule, four chlorine atoms are positioned symmetrically as corners in a tetrahedral configuration joined to a central carbon atom by single covalent bonds. Because of this symmetric geometry, CCl₄ is non-polar. Methane gas has the same structure, making carbon tetrachloride a halomethane. As a solvent, it is well suited to dissolving other non-polar compounds such as fats and oils. It can also dissolve iodine. It is volatile, giving off vapors with an odor characteristic of other chlorinated solvents, somewhat similar to the tetrachloroethylene odor reminiscent of dry cleaners' shops.

Solid tetrachloromethane has two polymorphs: crystalline II below −47.5 °C (225.6 K) and crystalline I above −47.5 °C.^[8] At −47.3 °C it has monoclinic crystal structure with space group C2/c and lattice constants a = 20.3, b = 11.6, c = 19.9 (.10⁻¹ nm), β = 111°.^[9]

With a specific gravity greater than 1, carbon tetrachloride will be present as a dense nonaqueous phase liquid if sufficient quantities are spilt in the environment.

Reactions

Despite being generally inert, carbon tetrachloride can undergo various reactions. Hydrogen or an acid in the presence of an iron catalyst can reduce carbon tetrachloride to chloroform, dichloromethane, chloromethane and even methane.^[10] When its vapours are passed through a red-hot tube, carbon tetrachloride dechlorinates to tetrachloroethylene and hexachloroethane.^[11]

Carbon tetrachloride, when treated with HF, gives various compounds such as trichlorofluoromethane (R-11), dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12), chlorotrifluoromethane (R-13) and carbon tetrafluoride with HCl as the by-product: