CAS number
- 76-01-7
Molecular formula
- C2HCl5
Formula weight
- 202.3 g/mol
Family
- Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAH)
Compound properties list|
| Melting/boiling point | -29 °C / 160 °C | Liquid |
| Relative density | 1.68 g/cm3 | Sinks in water |
| Vapour pressure | 4 mm Hg | Moderately volatile |
| Vapour density | 7 | Denser than air |
| Solubility in water | 700 mg/L | Low solubility |
| Henry's law constant | 2 x 10-3 atm·m3/mol | Rapid volatilization when dissolved |
| log Koc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics) | 2.3 - 3.7* | Strong adsorption to organic matter |
At 20 0C, pentachloroethane is a liquid denser than water and moderately volatile.
Characterized by low solubility, it will volatilize rapidly once dissolved and adsorbs strongly to
organic matter. During a spill, this compound will evaporate in part but most will enter into the
soil or migrate into a waterway. Once it encounters water (surface or subsurface), pentachloroethane
will dissolve or sink until it reaches an impermeable surface. The liquid pentachloroethane that
accumulates in a saturated zone will slowly dissolve before partially volatilizing. The adsorbed
pentachloroethane in the vadose and saturated zones will take some time disappear, liberating
contamination primarily in the gaseous but also in the dissolved state. The resulting plumes
(gaseous or dissolved) will be relatively moderate in size.
Pentachloroethane should be handled with care as it is toxic.
Pentachloroethane has limited uses. It can be used as a solvent for chemicals, resins
and gums, as a degreaser to clean metal parts, as a dry cleaning agent, as a timber drying agent and
as a fumigant.
Montgomery, John H. 2007. Groundwater Chemicals, Desk Reference, Fourth Edition,
CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Florida, USA.
