Chlorotrifluoromethane, R-13, CFC-13, or Freon 13, is a non-flammable, non-corrosive
chlorofluorocarbon
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F), produced as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane, and p ...
(CFC) and also a mixed
halomethane Halomethane compounds are derivatives of methane () with one or more of the hydrogen atoms replaced with halogen atoms ( F, Cl, Br, or I). Halomethanes are both naturally occurring, especially in marine environments, and human-made, most notably ...
. It is a man-made substance used primarily as a
refrigerant
A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Refrigerants are heavily regulated ...
. When released into the environment, CFC-13 has a high
ozone depletion potential, high
global warming potential
Global warming potential (GWP) is the heat absorbed by any greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, as a multiple of the heat that would be absorbed by the same mass of carbon dioxide (). GWP is 1 for . For other gases it depends on the gas and the time ...
, and long
atmospheric lifetime
A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...
.
Preparation
It can be prepared by reacting carbon tetrachloride with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of a
catalytic
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
amount of
antimony pentachloride
Antimony pentachloride is a chemical compound with the formula SbCl5. It is a colourless oil, but typical samples are yellowish due to dissolved chlorine. Owing to its tendency to hydrolyse to hydrochloric acid, SbCl5 is a highly corrosive substa ...
:
CCl
4 + 3HF
→ CClF
3 + 3HCl
This reaction can also produce
trichlorofluoromethane
Trichlorofluoromethane, also called freon-11, CFC-11, or R-11, is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). It is a colorless, faintly ethereal, and sweetish-smelling liquid that boils around room temperature. CFC-11 is a Class 1 ozone-depleting substance ...
(CCl
3F),
dichlorodifluoromethane
Dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12) is a colorless gas usually sold under the brand name Freon-12, and a chlorofluorocarbon halomethane (CFC) used as a refrigerant and aerosol spray propellant. Complying with the Montreal Protocol, its manufacture was ...
(CCl
2F
2) and
tetrafluoromethane
Tetrafluoromethane, also known as carbon tetrafluoride or R-14, is the simplest perfluorocarbon ( C F4). As its IUPAC name indicates, tetrafluoromethane is the perfluorinated counterpart to the hydrocarbon methane. It can also be classified as a ...
(CF
4).
Production phaseout
Per the international
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987, and entered into force ...
, CFC-13 began a phase out and replacement with alternative substances starting in the early 1990s that will culminate in a global ban on its production. The atmospheric abundance of CFC-13 rose from 3.0 parts per trillion (ppt) in year 2010 to 3.3 ppt in year 2020 based on analysis of air samples gathered from sites around the world.
Physical properties
See also
*
IPCC list of greenhouse gases
This is a list of the most influential long-lived, well-mixed greenhouse gases, along with their tropospheric concentrations and direct radiative forcings, as identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Abundances of thes ...
*
List of refrigerants
This is a list of refrigerants, sorted by their ASHRAE-designated numbers, commonly known as R numbers. Many modern refrigerants are man-made halogenated gases, especially fluorinated gases and chlorinated gases, that are frequently referred to as ...
References
External links
MSDS at mathesontrigas.com*
Entry at Air Liquide gas encyclopaediaThe crystal structure of chlorotrifluoromethane, CF3Cl; neutron powder diffraction and constrained refinement
{{Authority control
Chlorofluorocarbons
Halomethanes
Refrigerants
Greenhouse gases
Ozone depletion
Trifluoromethyl compounds