Tetrachloroethane

Tetrachloroethane is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. It is a colorless liquid with a sweet chloroform-like odor. It is used as a solvent and in the production of wood stains and varnishes. 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane is a chlorinated derivative of ethane. It has the highest solvent power of any chlorinated hydrocarbon. As a refrigerant, it is used under the name R-130. It was once widely used as a solvent and as an intermediate in the industrial production of trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and 1,2-dichloroethylene. However, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane is no longer used much in the United States due to concerns about its toxicity. Chronic inhalation exposure in humans results in jaundice and an enlarged liver, headaches, tremors, dizziness, numbness, and drowsiness and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Group C possible human carcinogen.