CAS number
- 634-66-2
Molecular formula
- C6H2Cl4
Formula weight
- 215.9 g/mol
Family
- Chlorobenzenes
Compound properties list|
| Melting/boiling point | 47 °C | Solid |
| Relative density | 0 g/cm3 | N/A |
| Vapour pressure | 0.02 mm Hg | Low volatility |
| Vapour density | 0 | N/A |
| Solubility in water | 5 mg/L | Low solubility |
| Henry's law constant | 7 x 10-4 atm·m3/mol | Moderately volatile once dissolved |
| log Koc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics) | 3.5 - 5.2* | Strong adsorption to organic matter |
At 20 0C, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene is a solid with low volatility and low solubility.
Once dissolved, it is moderately volatile and adsorbs strongly to organic matter. When present in
soil, it volatilizes and dissolves slowly. In the dissolved phase, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene can
reach the water table or drain into a waterway, where it will be diluted before partially
volatilizing. Fragments of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene can also be carried into a waterway and
deposited at the bottom, where they will dissolve slowly. Once the source has been removed, the
adsorbed phase will take a long time to disappear, liberating contamination in either the gaseous or
dissolved state. The resulting plumes (gaseous and dissolved) are generally small in size.
In Canada, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene is considered "toxic", as defined under Paragraph
64(a) of CEPA 1999, and has been added to Schedule 1.
1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene is not currently produced or used in its pure form in Canada.
The industrial use of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene is primarily as an intermediate in the production
of fungicides, herbicides, defoliants (2,4,5-T), and insecticides. Formerly, it could be found in
dielectric fluids where it was used to top up polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) transformers and in
dyestuff carriers. These applications have either been discontinued (dye carriers) or are being
phased out (dielectric fluids). A possible source of release includes dielectric PCB material still
in use. 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene may be generated when organic compounds are burned or exposed to
a large source of energy in the presence of a chlorine source.
