Hydrogen chloride
Hydrogen chloride is a chemical compound. It has the chemical formula HCl. It is the most common hydrogen halide, usually found in an aqueous solution, where it is called hydrochloric acid.
It was first prepared by Glauber. He called it 'spirit of salt'.
Properties
[change | change source]Pure hydrogen chloride is a colorless irritating gas. It is heavier than air. It is a polar covalent compound and exists as molecule. It is not combustible. It is highly soluble in water, dissociating to hydrochloric acid.
Preparation
[change | change source]Hydrogen chloride can be made from a chemical reaction between chloride salts and a strong acid like sulfuric acid.
It can be made by reacting hydrogen and chlorine, but the reaction is violent unless the reaction takes place in presence of diffused sunlight.
Hydrogen chloride is a byproduct of some reactions in organic synthesis, such as chlorination of alcohols with thionyl chloride.[1]
Applications
[change | change source]Most HCl is used as hydrochloric acid. Pure hydrogen chloride gas is used for reactions where the water in hydrochloric acid would cause problems.
It is used in the making of plastics. It can form mists in air if it absorbs water.
Sources
[change | change source]- ↑ John McMurry (Sep 20, 2023). "Preparing Alkyl Halides from Alcohols". Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition. Houston, Texas: OpenStax.
