Chlorofluorocarbons, applications

Cleaning Supercritical fluids such as CO9 are being used to clean and degrease quartz rods used to produce optical fibers, produc ts used in the fabrication of printed circuit boards, oily chips from machining operations, and precision bearings in militaiy applications, and so on. Here, CO9 replaces convention chlorocarbon or chlorofluorocarbon solvents. 

As you know, most countries are phasing out certain refrigerants to lessen damage to the ozone layer. The chemicals being phased out are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Replacements are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and certain blends. The DuPont web site (www.dupont.com) gives the handy Table I of recommended replacement refrigerants for various applications. 

Chlorofluorocarbons not only proved to be excellent refrigerants but also expanded into other applications... 

Elliott AJ (1994) Chlorofluorocarbons. In Organofluorine Chemistry Principles and Commercial Applications (Eds RE Banks, BE Smart, and JC Tatlow), pp. 145-157. Plenum Press, New York. 

Amorphous fluoropolymers have many applications in the areas of advanced materials where they are used in applications requiring thermal and chemical resistance. Their manufacture is hindered by their low solubility in many solvents. Many fluoropolymerizations cannot be carried out in hydrocarbon solvents because the radical abstraction of hydrogen atoms leads to detrimental side reactions. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were thus commonly used, but their use is now strictly controlled due to their ozone depleting and greenhouse gas properties. Supercritical carbon dioxide is a very attractive alternative to CFCs and it has been shown that amorphous fluoropolymers can be synthesized by... 

Currently, the major application of DME is as an aerosol propellant, for example in hairsprays and paintsprays, where it has replaced the formerly used ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). 

The magnitude of the effect of this scheduled phaseout on total carbon tetrachloride production is uncertain, since the Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance estimates that only about 3% of the chemical manufactured in the U.S. is used in nonfeedstock applications (EPA 1991). Nevertheless, since the major current use of carbon tetrachloride is in the production of chlorofluorocarbons (see Section 4.3), and production of these chemicals has dropped significantly in recent years (C EN 1993) and is also scheduled for phase-out by 1996, a significant reduction in carbon tetrachloride production is expected during this decade. 

Prior to their current phase-out, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were widely used as processing solvents for various materials. CFCs were well suited for many medical applications owing to their high solvency, nonflammability, good materials compatibility, and low toxicity. The uses for CFCs include a silicone deposition solvent, a fluoropolymer dispersion liquid, and processing solvents. However, the Montreal Protocol phase-out of ozone-depleting substances has required that alternative dispersants and solvents be found. Limitations of most available alternatives include flammability, low volatility, poor solvency, and poor materials compatibility. 

Carbon tetrachloride is used in the synthesis of chlorinated organic compounds, including chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants. It is also used as an agricultural fumigant and as a solvent in the production of semiconductors, in the processing of fats, oils and rubber and in laboratory applications (Lewis, 1993 Kauppinen et al., 1998). 

Apart from these synthetically impractical examples of hydrolysis of chloro-fluorocarbons, there are useful applications converting some chlorofluorocarbons to fluonnated carboxylic acids. As an alternative to the use of the highly corrosive fuming sulfuric acid, normally used in batch processes, a continuous hydrolytic process for converting 1,1,1-trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC-113a), available by isomerization of CFC-113 [44], to trifluoroacetic acid has been developed [45] (equation 45). It uses metal chloride catalysts deposited on high-surface-area supports Unreacted CFC-113a can be recycled. 

Rigid foams are based primarily on polyfunctional, low molecular weight alcohols and amines. Most global applications conventionally use polymeric isocyanates, TDI, or an undistilled grade of mixed TDI isomers. TDI prepolymers which have hydroxyl and isocyanate groups have been marketed as a low vapor pressure alternative to undistilled TDI. Density reduction is effected via the addition of chlorofluorocarbons, low molecular weight alkanes, or via the in situ generation of carbon dioxide. The resultant closed cell foams find applications as insulators in construction, appliance, transportation, pipeline, and tank end uses. 

This is a performance-based method that avoids the use of chlorofluorocarbon solvent. The method is applicable to aqueous matrices, using -hexane as the extraction solvent and gravimetry as the determinative technique. Because hexane is a hydrocarbon solvent, and if this solvent is employed for extraction, the method performance cannot be evaluated by IR measurement. The substances that may be determined by this method are relatively nonvolatile hydrocarbons, vegetable oils, greases, waxes, animal fats, and related materials. The method permits the use of other extraction solvents also, provided that the QC criteria are met. 

Chloroform (trichloromethane, CHClj). Chloroform was first used as an anaesthetic in 1847 and its narcotic effects on the central nervous are well documented (ref. 4la). It has important applications as an intermediate in the chemical synthesis of a large number of industrial chemicals chlorofluorocarbons, dyes, drugs and pesticides. Its powerful solvent properties and low boiling point (6l°C) have made it a favorite for extractive and purification operations in preparing antibiotics, alkaloids, flavors and vitamins. 

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