Trichloroethylene (TCE) 

Chemical property: Trichloroethylene without stabilizer can be oxidized in the air. 
Trichloroethylene with stabilizer is table matter, it doesn't react with metal even it is heated
 to 130°C.

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Trichloroethylene is a non-flammable liquid chlorinated hydrocarbon used as an industrial solvent. It is often referred to as TCE, Trike, or tri and is sold under numerous brand names.

Name:Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethene, 1,1-Dichloro-2-Chloroethylene, 1-Chloro-2,2-Dichloroethylene, Acetylene Trichloride, TCE, Trethylene, Triclene, Tri, Trimar, Trilene 

 

Trade Names: Acetylene trichloroethylene, Algylen, Anameth, Benzinol, Chlorilen, CirCosolv, Germalgene, Lethurin, Perm-a-chlor, Petzinol, Philex, TRI-Plus M and Vitran 

 

Use: Solvent 

 

Uses

Up until 1977, trichloroethylene had direct uses for the human body. Used as a general anesthetic, skin wound and surgical disinfectant, and spice in coffee, human beings were ingesting and relying on trichloroethylene to sanitize their injuries. In 1977, these uses of trichloroethylene were banned by the FDA for their harm.

Today, there are different uses for trichloroethylene. As of 1986, 80% of the Trichloroethylene in the United States was used as vapor degreasing during production of metal parts. Trichloroethylene was also used as a chemical intermediate and some was even produced for export. Trichloroethylene's purpose in vapor degreasing of metal parts is highly important. Used by automotive and metal industries, trichloroethylene proves to be powerful in the removal of grease, oil, fat, wax and tar.

Trichloroethylene has also been used by textile industries. Their main use of trichloroethylene is to clean cotton, wool and other fabrics. It is also used as a solvent for waterless dying. Trichloroethylene is also found and used in products such as dyes, printing inks, paints, adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids, as well as spot removers.

About 10 million pounds of trichloroethylene are used each year in the manufacture of poly vinyl chloride.

It is an unstable and dangerous liquid that is non-flammable. When dealing with water, TCE is slightly soluble, while in most other organic Solvents - Chemical Profiles and External Links, TCE is very soluble. TCE is a colorless, or blue organic liquid, which has an odor somewhat like chloroform. The odor is sweet, and it has a sweet, yet burning taste. 

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Existing regulation[edit]

Until recent years, the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) contended that trichloroethylene had little-to-no carcinogenic potential, and was probably a co-carcinogen—that is, it acted in concert with other substances to promote the formation of tumors.

Half a dozen state, federal, and international agencies now classify trichloroethylene as a probable carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers trichloroethylene a Group 2A carcinogen, indicating that it considers it is probably carcinogenic to humans.^[46] California EPA regulators consider it a known carcinogen and issued a risk assessment in 1999 that concluded that it was far more toxic than previous scientific studies had shown.

In the European Union, the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) recommends an exposure limit for workers exposed to trichloroethylene of 10 ppm [54.7 mg/m3] for 8-hour TWA and of 30 ppm [164.1 mg/m3] for STEL (15 mins).^[47]

Existing EU legislation aimed at protection of workers against risks to their health (including Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC^[48] and Carcinogens Directive 2004/37/EC^[49]) currently do not impose binding minimum requirements for controlling risks to workers health during the use phase or throughout the life cycle of trichloroethylene. However, in case the ongoing discussions under the Carcinogens Directive will result in setting of a binding Occupational Exposure Limit for trichloroethylene for protection of workers, this conclusion may be revisited.

The Solvents Emissions Directive 1999/13/EC^[50] and Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EC^[51] impose binding minimum requirements for emissions of trichloroethylene to the environment for certain activities, including surface cleaning. However, the activities with solvent consumption below a specified threshold are not covered by these minimum requirements.

According to European regulation, the use of trichloroethylene is prohibited for individuals at a concentration greater than 0.1%. In industry, trichloroethylene should be substituted before April 21, 2016 (unless an exemption is requested before October 21, 2014)^[52] by other products such as tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), methylene chloride (dichloromethane), or other hydrocarbon derivatives (ketones, alcohols, ...)