Chlorine Gas | Properties | Uses | and Facts

Properties Uses and Facts about Chlorine Gas

What is Chlorine

Chlorine is a gas, it is classified as a non-metal and chemically chlorine is an element. Chlorine is located in group 17 of the periodic table, all elements in this group are called halogens. Chlorine has an atomic mass of 35.4527 AMU, atomic number 17, and symbol (Cl). In the Periodic Table, chlorine is located in group 17, period 3 and block (P). Its atom has 17 electrons, 17 protons, 18 neutrons and 3 energy levels. The density of chlorine is 3.214 grams per 1000 cubic centimeters. Chlorine is found in the gaseous state at room temperature, with a melting point of −101.5 °C (−150.7 °F), and a boiling point of −34.04 °C (−29.27 °F).

Chlorine was discovered by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1774.

Chlorine Gas Properties Uses and Facts

Properties of Chlorine

• Chlorine is a yellow-green toxic gas.
• Chlorine gas has a very strong foul smell.
• Chlorine is not flammable, but it helps in burning like oxygen under special conditions. There are many substances which can be burnt in the atmosphere of chlorine gas just like the atmosphere of oxygen.
• Chlorine is chemically very reactive gas, so it is not found in pure state in nature.
• Chlorine can react with all elements except the noble gases.
• Chlorine reacts with most metals to form chlorides, but some metals such as iron, platinum, copper and silver do not react with chlorine gas at temperatures below 110 °C.
• Chlorine dissolves in water to form hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hypochlorous acid (HClO).
• Chlorine gas and hydrogen gas react with an explosion in the presence of ultraviolet light and blue light to form hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas.

Uses of Chlorine

• The most important use of chlorine is in making other chemicals.
• More than 20% of the total chlorine produced is used to make PVC plastic.
• Chlorine is used as an oxidizing agent.
• Chlorine is a germicidal gas, it can kill bacteria, so it is used to treat drinking water and swimming pool water.
• Chlorine is used in many industries like paint industry, paper industry, pesticide industry, plastic industry, textile industry, pharmaceutical etc.
• Chlorine is used as an antiseptic.
• Chlorine was used to produce chlorofluorocarbons, it was used in air conditioners, but it caused fatal damage to the Earth's ozone layer, so now chlorofluorocarbons have been banned.
• In the past, chlorine was used to make an anesthesia called chloroform, which has been banned.

Interesting facts about Chlorine gas

• Chlorine is the 19th most abundant element in the Earth's crust.
• Chlorine is a toxic gas, it was used as a chemical weapon during the First World War.
• Pure chlorine gas is toxic, but many of its compounds are essential to life, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), which is a common salt.
• Chlorine or its compounds are used at some stage in the manufacturing process of more than 85% of pharmaceutical products.
• Chlorine is produced by electrolysis of a solution of sodium chloride NaCl (salt).
• Chlorine is about two and a half times heavier than ordinary air.
• Chloride ions account for 1.9 percent of the total mass of seawater on Earth.
• Hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas, which is derived from chlorine, and hydrochloric acid (HCl) both have the same chemical formula (HCl).

Detailed Information on Some other Gases

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