Carbon tetrachloride, also referred to as tetrachloromethane, is a colorless, dense, volatile, highly toxic, nonflammable liquid belongs to the family of organic halogen compounds, and is widely used to manufacture dichlorodifluoromethane (a refrigerant and propellant). In the past, carbon tetrachloride was used as a cleaning fluid in industry and as a spot remover for clothing, furniture, and carpeting in households. It was also used as a fumigant to kill insects in grain and in fire extinguishers. Currently, it is used as a solvent in the rubber industry.
Moreover, carbon tetrachloride is used as a cleansing
agent in the dry cleaning industry, and as a solvent in the chemical and drug
industry. It is used as fire extinguisher under the name of pyrene. The dense
vapors of carbon tetrachloride form a protective layer over burning objects and
prevent oxygen or air from coming into contact with the fire from the burning
objects and provide flammable vapors. It has been manufactured for use as a refrigerant,
degreasing agent, fumigant, dry cleaning solvent, in fire extinguishers, and
for lacquers and varnishes.
Asia Pacific is estimated
to witness the fastest growth in the global carbon
tetrachloride market,
with countries such as China and India leading in terms of production and
consumption.
Carbon tetrachloride is an organic compound that is
recognized by different names in other industries. For instance, it is called Halon-104
for use in fire extinguishers, Refrigerant-10 in the development of HVACR
units, carbon tet in the cleaning industry, and tetrachloromethane in the
chemicals industry. It is a clear, stable, and volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon
that has a faint, sweet odor, and is thicker than water as well as insoluble in
water. It compound find wide application in fire extinguishers, as well as a
cleaning agent, and precursor for refrigerants.
However, to protect the people from exposure, many
governments have limited or banned the use of carbon tetrachloride in most
common household products and fire extinguishers, and has discontinued its use
as a pesticide. In Japan, carbon tetrachloride is regulated under Industrial
Safety and Health Act (ISHA), Air Pollution Control Law, and Water Pollution
Control Law, among others. This in turn has led to a reduction in the demand
for carbon tetrachloride.