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Team:Oxford/intellectual property
From 2014.igem.org
Chlorinated Solvents
Uses of Chlorinated Solvents
Eurochlor, the EU body responsible for the European Chlorinated Solvents Association) analyses the uses and impact of chlorinated solvents in three categories: industrial, professional, and consumer. Today the four most commonly used chlorinated solvents are dichloromethane (DCM - also known as methyl chloride [CH2Cl2]), trichloroethylene (aka trichloroethene [C2HCl3]), perchloroethylene (aka tetrachloroethene [C2Cl4]), and to a lesser extent, trichloromethane(aka chloroform[CHCl3]). Hover over each application to reveal more information...
Industrial Uses
Adhesives & Sealants ↴ - Foam Blowing
- Formulation of Preparations
- Intermediate Use Manufacture
- Recycling
- Metal Cleaning
- Decorating
- Extraction Solvent
- Cleaning
- Textile Industry
- Functional Fluid
Coatings and adhesives sometimes require the dissolving power of chlorinated solvents to solubilize the wide variety of thermoplastic ingredients. DCM and trichloroethylene feature rapid drying rates and low flammability that make them ideal for use in rubber cements, styrenics, and epoxies.
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Professional Uses
- Packaging & (Re)-Filling
- Adhesives
- Aerosols
- Laboratory Use
- Manual Cleaning
- Decorating
- Dry Cleaning
- Film Cleaning and Copying
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Consumer Uses
- Aerosols
- Glue (including carpet glue, glue spray, and glue from a tube, super glue, wood parquet glue)
- Decorating
- Washing and cleaning products
- Pest Control
Despite controversies chlorinated solvents remain present in a range of aerosol products including hairspray and deodorant
.Chlorinated solvents are used in a wide variety of adhesive products available to consumers, including carpet glue, spray and tube adhesives, superglue, and wood parquet glue.
Chlorinated solvents are common ingredients in materials such as paint spray and paint stripper - although since 2010 DCM is no longer permitted in home use paint strippers, in part due to problems encountered with disposal, chlorinated solvents continue to be used for this purpose in non-EU countries.
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Chlorinated solvents are used in various plant protection products, both for large-scale agriculture and for home-use, and in other pest control sprays.
Disposal of Chlorinated Solvents
Eurochlor, the EU body responsible for the European Chlorinated Solvents Association) analyses the uses and impact of chlorinated solvents in three categories: industrial, professional, and consumer. Hover over each application to reveal more information...
Atmosphere
There is a possibility that chlorinated solvents may contribute to ozone depletion - the potential for problems to be caused by this is the greater because these solvents are not regulated under the chlorine budget of the Montreal Protocol.
Biosphere
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Groundwater
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Marine Environment
Chlorinated solvents are generally highly volatile and only sparingly soluble in water. Even if traces of solvents are briefly present in aqueous waste streams, they volatilise from rivers and lakes with a half-life of about a month or less, unless they are trapped in groundwater. Nevertheless, presence of chlorinated solvents is a concern due to its potential impact on marine life...
