Halogenated hydrocarbon compounds (such as trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene -also known as perchloroethylene) have been heavily used as solvents for cleaning of various items. Please pick one of the details below and provide detailed information on it. Or, combine information from several of the answers provided by others here (giving proper recognition for their efforts) and introduce any additional relevant information needed to describe why chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents are declining in use.
For n-hexane, benzene, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene:
- Investigate the flammability of each
- Investigate the volatility (expressed as vapor pressure) of each
- Investigate the density (relative to water) of each
- How do the characteristics of the two chlorinated solvents make them preferable to the n-hexane and benzene hydrocarbon solvents for cleaning (of electronics or other industrial parts)?
- How do the physical characteristics of the two chlorinated solvents cause unique groundwater problems when they are inadvertently released to groundwater in the environment?
