14 Facts About Carbon tetrachloride

Carbon tetrachloride, known by many other names is an organic compound with the chemical formula CCl4.

Exposure to high concentrations of carbon tetrachloride can affect the central nervous system and degenerate the liver and kidneys.

Carbon tetrachloride was originally synthesized by the French chemist Henri Victor Regnault in 1839 by the reaction of chloroform with chlorine, but now it is mainly produced from methane:.

Production of carbon tetrachloride has steeply declined since the 1980s due to environmental concerns and the decreased demand for CFCs, which were derived from carbon tetrachloride.

Carbon tetrachloride is one of the most potent hepatotoxins, so much so that it is widely used in scientific research to evaluate hepatoprotective agents.

Carbon tetrachloride is a suspected human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.

The World Health Organization reports carbon tetrachloride can induce hepatocellular carcinomas in mice and rats.

In organic chemistry, carbon tetrachloride serves as a source of chlorine in the Appel reaction.

Carbon tetrachloride made from heavy chlorine-37 has been used in the detection of neutrinos.

One specialty use of carbon tetrachloride is in stamp collecting, to reveal watermarks on postage stamps without damaging them.

Carbon tetrachloride was widely used as a dry cleaning solvent, as a refrigerant, and in lava lamps.

Carbon tetrachloride was suitable for liquid and electrical fires and the extinguishers were often carried on aircraft or motor vehicles.

Carbon tetrachloride is still used to manufacture less destructive refrigerants.

Carbon tetrachloride was widely used as a fumigant to kill insect pests in stored grain.