It is a colorless liquid with a sweet smell that can be detected at low levels. It has practically no flammability at lower temperatures.
CARBON TETRA CHLORIDE is a solvent for oils, fats, lacquers, varnishes, rubber waxes, and resins, and a starting material in the manufacturing of organic compounds. Poisoning by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption is possible and may be fatal. It is also used in fire extinguisher If an example of bitumen is dissolved in CCL4 , its impurities remain, and we can determine the purity of bitumen.
The standard solubility test using Carbon tetrachloride is designated as ASTM D3467.
Activity is determined by flowing CCl4-laden air through a sample of carbon of known weight, under specified conditions, until there is no further increase in the weight of the sample, then determining the weight of the CCl4 adsorbed. The apparatus required for the test consists essentially of means to control the supply air pressure, to remove oil and water in both liquid and vapor states from the supply air, to produce the specified concentration of CCl4 in the air flowed through the carbon sample, and to control the flow rate of the gas (air +CCl4) mixture through the sample.
A= 100 (D-C)/(C-B)
Where:
A = carbon tetrachloride activity, as a percent of carbon Weight,
B = initial weight of dry sample tube, without carbon, g,
C = initial weight of filled sample tube, g,
D = final weight of filled sample tube, g.
Determined by the first measurement of weight gain, using:
S=Dt –c/Qt
Where:
S = concentration of CCl4, mg/L,
Dt =weight of filled sample tube after t min exposure, g
C = initial weight of filled sample tube, g
Q = measured gas flow rate, mL/min,
t = measured exposure period, min (normally 10 min)