29 Interesting Chloroform Facts Revealed For Chemistry Buffs

Chloroform is a substance that is used in various ways.

Chloroform is present mainly in liquid form with an ether-like fragrance. According to the incidents in history and further research conducted, certain kinds of exposure to chloroform can have bad side effects on humans as well as the environment.

Chloroform is prepared through the process of chlorination of methane. When methane and chlorine are mixed together at 752-932 F (400-500 C) temperatures, the reaction occurs. The resulting mix of by-products consists of tetrachloromethane, trichloromethane, dichloromethane, and chloromethane. Each of these substances is then separated through the process of distillation.

Chloroform can also occur in drinking water (or any other water) while it is being chlorinated.

Another way to produce chloroform is to mix methyl ethyl ketone (like nail polish remover) and sodium hypochlorite (like bleach). The reaction between chlorine and acetone would produce chloroform too.

While chloroform is used for many industrial purposes, its other uses, which directly involve humans, have declined over the years. This is because chloroform can be dangerous to humans as well as the environment.

When inhaled, chloroform can lead to a depression of the central nervous system through the vapors, which can further cause headache, fatigue, and dizziness. Long-term exposure to chloroform can also damage the kidneys and the liver.

It can also cause allergic reactions in some people. Dermal infection is another issue that can occur when chloroform comes in contact with human skin. Because of its high toxicity, many alternatives to chloroform have been invented.

What is chloroform?

Chemicals and compounds that exist, created by humans and nature, are not all the same. While some of them might have similar properties, making them part of a group, each chemical and chemical compound are different.

• Chloroform is known as a chemical substance that is an organic compound.
• The French chemist Eugene Soubeiran is considered the first person to have produced chloroform in 1831.
• Soubeiran used acetone and ethanol in the reaction, which was made possible by using bleach powder.
• Chloroform was first named and characterized chemically by Jean-Baptiste Dumas in 1834.
• Chloroform began to be known to the public in 1853 when John Snow, an English physician, gave it to Queen Victoria while she was giving birth to her eighth child, Prince Leopold.
• Chloroform is known to be one of the intermediate substances that arise during the production of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is also commonly known as Teflon.

Chemical Properties Of Chloroform

Like all other chemical and organic substances, chloroform has its own chemical properties too. These properties are mentioned below.

• Chloroform is a clear and colorless liquid that is nonflammable. This means that chloroform is unable to cause a fire on its own.
• This liquid is also denser than water, which means when Chloroform is added to water, it will sink.
• Research has also found that chloroform can also be slightly soluble in water, but mostly it is insoluble in water.
• It also has an ether-like odor which is sweet.
• The boiling point of chloroform is 142.16 F (61.2 C).
• Chloroform does not have a melting point as it is already present in liquid form.
• It does, however, have a freezing point, which is -82.3 F (-63.5 C).
• Chloroform reacting with sodium hydroxide can produce sodium hydroxide, sodium acetate, and water.
• When oxidation of Chloroform occurs, it produces hydrochloric acid and Phosgene.
• Phosgene was used as a poison gas during World War One.

Uses Of Chloroform As A Compound

Chloroform production has been done on a large scale because of its diverse uses. Some of the historical and primary uses of Chloroform are listed as follows.

• In the history of chloroform, there have been many developments pertaining to its use.
• Since around 1847, ether has been replaced by chloroform as an anesthetic during the process of surgery or childbirth.
• This use of chloroform does not exist anymore due to the poisonous or toxic nature of the substance.
• Issues such as breathing problems and heart problems can occur during the use of chloroform as an anesthetic.
• There was a time when chloroform was present in products such as cough syrups, toothpaste, ointments, and so on. However, its presence in consumer products has been banned since 1976 in the United States.
• Chloroform is also used as a solvent for several organic compounds used in industrial processes and basic research.
• Chloroform can help extract alkaloids like morphine that are considered to have pharmaceutical significance from plants such as poppies.
• Chloroform as a solvent can also be used in the production of pesticides and dyes.
• In a reaction, chloroform can act as a catalyst to accelerate the reaction between two or more chemicals.
• With an extraction buffer, the reaction involving chloroform and phenol helps to separate the DNA from the additional cellular material.
• Up until recently, chloroform had been utilized primarily in the production of R-22, which is also known as HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane).
• However, the production of R-22 has been declining as it contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Formula And Classification Of Chloroform

The formula of a chemical is created to understand the components and their proportions as well as for representation in a reaction. The formula of chloroform, along with its classification, is mentioned below.

• The chemical formula of chloroform is CHCl3.
• In the field of chemistry, chloroform is also known as trichloromethane.
• This name and the formula denote the relationship between the atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine.
• Each molecule of chloroform has three chlorine atoms, also known as a halogen, attached to the carbon atom in the center.
• Chloroform is thus classified under the group of compounds called trihalomethanes.