Safety Emporium for all your lab and safety needs

Carbon Monoxide

Glossary Index

Carboxylic Acid

MSDS Topics	Free Sites	FAQ's	Regulations	Glossary	Software	Suppliers
	Books	Forum	Poll	Fun stuff	Quiz	Store
Understand your MSDS with the MS-Demystifier				Search ALL our MSDS info

Carbon Tetrachloride

Definition

• Carbon tetrachloride, also known as tetrachloromethane (CAS # 56-23-5), is a clear, colorless, non-flammable, halogenated, organic liquid with a distinctive odor. It is sometimes called "carbon tet" in lab slang. The chemical formula is CCl₄ and two equivalent representations of the molecular structure are shown below. The central carbon atom is attached to four chlorine atoms and the molecular shape is tetrahedral:

  

Additional Info

According to the NTP 12^th Annual Report On Carcinogens carbon tetrachloride is "reasonably anticipated" to be a human carcinogen. Therefore, avoid contact with it whenever possible.

Carbon tetrachloride was formerly used in a wide variety of applications before the carcinogenic hazard was well-known. One such use was as a fire extinguishing agent. Besides the carcinogenic hazard this poses, an additional danger is that carbon tetrachloride can form phosgene gas (Cl2CO, used as a chemical weapon in World War I) when used on electrical fires. If you ever come across a carbon tetrachloride extinguisher dispose of it as a toxic waste and replace the extinguisher with an appropriately selected model. Carbon tetrachloride was widely used as an industrial solvent before its health hazards were well-known. It is sometimes used as an intermediate (ingredient) in the manufacture of other chemicals, and it has a terrific degreasing ability. This latter property also resulted in its use by the dry cleaning industry in the 20th century, but this practice has long been abandoned.

Comply with state and federal regulations with hazardous waste labels fromSafety Emporium.

Regulations and taxes have helped to phase out the widespread use of carbon tetrachloride in most "first world" nations, however you are still likely to encounter carbon tetrachloride in academic and research laboratories.

Books Available

• "Halogenated Hydrocarbons", Hardcover, 920 pages, 1990. Estimated price $379.95. Info and/or order.
• "An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It", Paperback, 328 pages, 2006. Estimated price $16.29. Info and/or order.
• "Halogenated Solvent Cleaners: Emission Control Technologies and Cost Analysis", Hardcover, 223 pages, 1990. Estimated price $139.95. Info and/or order .

MSDS Relevance

MSDS's often list the solubility of the material in various solvents. Carbon tetrachloride is often used a reference in this regard because it has a very symmetric molecular shape and distribution of electons, something chemists call a "non-polar" molecule. Non-polar molecules tend to dissolve other non-polar materials fairly well, but generally do not dissolve those that are polar. If you are actually using carbon tetrachloride in your workplace, definitely have an MSDS on hand and take every precaution you can to eliminate and/or minimize its use. If you must use it, use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and try to confine the material to a fume hood if possible.

Safety Emporium carries respirators to protect users from hazardous materials like CCl4.

Further Reading

• Download the NTP report on carbon tetrachloride in PDF format (166K download). Includes lots of interesting data.
• The ATSDR's ToxFAQ on carbon tetrachloride.
• The US EPA's Basic Information about Carbon Tetrachloride in Drinking Water.
• Scorecard's Chemical Profile on Carbon Tetrachloride.
• The International Programme On Chemical Safety's Report on Carbon Tetrachloride.
• The Matheson Tri-Gas MSDS for carbon tetrachloride (in ANSI format as a PDF file).

See also: halogen, organic, solvent

Additional definitions from Google and OneLook.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate, however ILPI makes no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. ILPI strongly encourages the reader to consult the appropriate local, state and federal agencies concerning the matters discussed herein.