or '''monochloroethane''', commonly known by its old name '''ethyl chloride''', is a
Chemical Compound once widely used in producing
Tetraethyl Lead , a
Gasoline additive. It is a colorless, flammable gas or refrigerated liquid with a faintly sweet odor.
Ethyl chloride is produced by
Reacting Ethylene and
Hydrogen Chloride over an
Aluminium Chloride Catalyst at temperatures ranging from 130-250°C. Under these conditions, ethyl chloride is produced according to the
Chemical Equation .
:
C2H4 +
HCl → C
2H
5Cl
At various times in the past, ethyl chloride has also been produced from
Ethanol and
Hydrochloric Acid , or from
Ethane and
Chlorine , but these routes are no longer economical. Some ethyl chloride is generated as a byproduct of
Polyvinyl Chloride production. Should demand for ethyl chloride continue to fall to the point where making it for its own sake is not economical, this may become the leading source of the chemical.
Beginning in 1922 and continuing through most of the 20th century, the major use of ethyl chloride was to produce tetraethyl lead (TEL), an anti-knock additive for gasoline. However, due to growing awareness of
Air Pollution , TEL has been or is being phased out in most of the industrialized world, and the demand for ethyl chloride has fallen sharply.
Like other chlorinated
Hydrocarbon s, ethyl chloride has been used as a
Refrigerant , an
Aerosol Spray Propellant , an
Anesthetic , and a
Blowing Agent for foam packaging. At present though, it is not widely used in any of these roles.
The only remaining industrially important use of ethyl chloride is in treating
Cellulose to make ethylcellulose, a thickening agent and binder in
Paint s,
Cosmetic s, and similar products.
It is also used by some as a drug because of the symptoms it produces.
Sometimes referred to as "Duster". Similar to
Poppers , ethyl chloride is also used as an inhalant (huffed) during sexual activity for an intense several-minute-long high that results in a prolonged orgasm.
Ethyl chloride is the least toxic of the chloroethanes. Like other chlorinated hydrocarbons, it is a
Central Nervous System Depressant , albeit a less potent one than many similar compounds. People breathing its vapors at less than 1% concentration in air usually experience no symptoms. At higher concentrations, victims usually exhibit symptoms similar to those of alcohol
Intoxication . Breathing its vapors at 15% or higher is often fatal.
Studies on the effects of chronic ethyl chloride exposure in animals have given inconsistent results, and there exists no data for its long-term effects on humans. Some studies have reported that prolonged exposure can produce
Liver or
Kidney damage, or
Uterine Cancer in mice, but these data have been difficult to reproduce.
Recent information suggests carcinogenic potential; it has been designated as IARC category A3, ''Confirmed Animal Carcinogen with Unknown Relevance to Humans''. As a result, the State of California has incorporated it into Proposition 65 as a known carcinogen. Nonetheless, it is still used in medicine as a
Local Anesthetic .
