Carbon Tetrachloride

Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (the most notable being carbon tet in the cleaning industry, and a Halon or Freon in HVAC; see Table for others) is the organic compound with the formula CCl₄. It was formerly widely used in fire extinguishers, as a precursor to refrigerants, and as a cleaning agent. It is a colourless liquid with a “sweet” smell that can be detected at low levels.

Both carbon tetrachloride and tetrachloromethane are acceptable names under IUPAC nomenclature.