Definition and Areas of Use :
Tetrachloroethylene is a chlorinate hydrocarbon used as a solvent and coolant in industrial transformers. It is a colorless, volatile, non-flammable liquid with an ether-like odor. Most of tetrachloroethylene is produced by high-temperature chlorolysis of light hydrocarbons. It is an excellent solvent for organic materials.
Perchloroethylene is a non-flammable but volatile solvent. It has a strong odor that can be detected by humans even at a level of 1 ppm in the air. perchloroethylene is produced from dichloroethane. Since trichloroethylene is another byproduct released during this reaction, these two chemicals are then separated by distillation. Like all other chlorinated solvents, perchloroethylene has a depressant effect on the nervous system. Contact with its vapor can cause dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and loss of consciousness. Since perchloroethylene will completely dissolve the oil in the skin when in constant contact with human skin, it can cause serious skin problems. It has limited solubility in water, but is completely miscible with solvents such as ethanol, acetone, and chloroform.