CAS number
- 78-87-5
Molecular formula
- C3H6Cl2
Formula weight
- 113 g/mol
Family
- Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAH)
Compound properties list|
| Melting/boiling point | -100 °C / 96 °C | Liquid |
| Relative density | 1.15 g/cm3 | Sinks in water |
| Vapour pressure | 45 mm Hg | Moderately volatile |
| Vapour density | 3.9 | Denser than air |
| Solubility in water | 2,500 mg/L | Moderately soluble |
| Henry's law constant | 2 x 10-3 atm·m3/mol | Rapid volatilization when dissolved |
| log Koc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics) | | Moderate adsorption to organic matter |
At 20 0C, 1,2-dichloropropane is a liquid denser than water and moderately volatile.
Characterized by moderate solubility, it will volatilize rapidly once dissolved and adsorbs
moderately to organic matter. During a spill, this compound will evaporate in part but may also
enter into the soil or migrate into a waterway. Once it encounters water (surface or subsurface),
the 1,2-dichloropropane will dissolve or sink until it reaches an impermeable surface. Liquid
1,2-dichloropropane that accumulates in a saturated zone will gradually dissolve before
volatilization occurs. The adsorbed 1,2-dichloropropane in the vadose and saturated zones will
rapidly disappear, liberating contamination in either the gaseous or dissolved state. The resulting
plumes (gaseous or dissolved) will be relatively small in size.
1,2-Dichloropropane should be handled with care as it is flammable.
1,2-Dichloropropane is a man-made chemical obtained as a by-product of the synthesis of
propene oxide by the chlorohydrin process, or by the reaction of propene and chlorine in the
presence of an iron oxide catalyst. Almost all of the 1,2-dichloropropane industrially produced is
used on site as a chemical intermediate in the production of tetrachloroethene, carbon tetrachloride
and other chlorinated products. The rest is used as an industrial solvent for oils, fats, resins,
waxes and rubber,. It is also used in ion exchange manufacture, for paper coating, and for
petroleum catalyst regeneration. Other minor uses include as an intermediate in the synthesis of
toluene diisocyanate (TDI), photographic film manufacturing, textile stain remover, scouring
compound, metal degreasing agent, and lead scavenger in gasoline. Before the early 1980s, some of
the 1,2-dichloropropane produced was also used in farming as a soil fumigant for nematodes and as a
solvent in some paint, varnish, and furniture finish removers. It is no longer sold for these
uses.
Industrial activities are probably responsible for all releases of 1,2-dichloropropane into the
environment. Most of these releases finally end up in the air or groundwater.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 1989. Toxicological
Profile for 1,2-Dichloropropane. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service, Georgia, USA. (Viewed March 2010)
Montgomery, John H. 2007. Groundwater Chemicals, Desk Reference, Fourth Edition, CRC
Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Florida, USA.
