Oxidation of chlorinated ethanes
The photooxidation study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the chemistry of conversion of the chlorinated ethanes to intermediate and final oxidation products. In the study, 10 ppm of each chlorinated ethane and 4 ppm of chlorine were irradiated with ultraviolet light. Three quarters of the lamps used were ''black light'' with a maximum intensity near 3650 A, while the remaining one quarter were ''sun lamps'' with 3100 A maximum intensity. A Fourier Transform spectrometer and a path length of 360 m were used to analyze the reactants and products. Chlorine atoms produced by the photolysis of molecular chlorine initiated the oxidation of each chlorinated ethane. Chlorinated products that formed during the oxidation of the chlorinated ethanes include phosgene, COCl/sub 2/; formyl chloride, HCOCl; hydrogen chloride, HCl; acetyl chloride; CH/sub 3/COCl; chloroacetyl chloride, CH/sub 2/ClCOCl; dichloroacetyl chloride, CHCl/sub 2/COCl; and trichlorocetyl chloride, CCl/sub 3/COCl. Mechanisms are proposed for the formation of these reaction products but are by no means conclusive and warrant further study. Many of the products will be further attacked in the atmosphere to produce HCl, CO/sub 2/, and CO. Hydrogen chloride will probably be washed out of the troposphere by rain but when it is formed at higher altitudes it could persist and enter into the ozone destruction cycle. It is most important that information be obtained on the chemical and physical removal process for phosgene, formyl chloride, and acid chlorides. Of the chlorinated ethanes, methyl chloroform is the least reactive to atmospheric process whereas the 1,1-dichloroethane will likely be the most reactive.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
- OSTI ID:
- 7277375
- Journal Information:
- J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 28:3; ISSN JPCAA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACETYL RADICALS
ACYL RADICALS
AIR POLLUTION
ALKANES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE
DECOMPOSITION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ETHANE
FORMYL RADICALS
HALOGENS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PHOSGENE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PHOTOLYSIS
POLLUTION
RADIATIONS
RADICALS
SPECTROSCOPY
TROPOSPHERE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION