Agent Name | Aluminum chloride |
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CAS Number | 7446-70-0 |
Formula | Al-Cl3 |
Major Category | Metals |
Synonyms | Aluminium trichloride; Aluminium, (chlorure d') [French]; Aluminiumchlorid [German]; Chlorure d'aluminium [French]; Trichloroaluminum; [ChemIDplus] |
Category | Metals, Inorganic Compounds |
Description | White crystals or powder with strong odor of hydrogen chloride; [HSDB] Pure material is deliquescent solid. Commercially available as anhydrous, the hexahydrate and as 16.5%, 28%, and 80% solutions; [CHEMINFO] |
Sources/Uses | Used as a catalyst and chemical intermediate; Aluminum chloride hexahydrate is used to preserve wood, to disinfect stables and slaughterhouses, to dye fabrics, to develop photos, to refine crude oil, and to manufacture parchment paper; It is used in deodorants and antiperspirants; [HSDB] |
Comments | Hydrogen chloride gas and hydrochloric acid released upon contact of Al-Cl3 with moisture; Corrosive to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract; Inhalation of dust or released HCl can cause acute pulmonary edema; [CHEMINFO] Occupational asthma confirmed by specific challenge testing in a foundry worker; [Malo] Experiments show that "there is essentially no HCl gas formation; the substance is quite unreactive." Contact with the anhydrous substance causes thermal and acid burns. [CAMEO] See "Aluminum." |
Restricted | Use as a registered pesticide was cancelled; [HSDB] |
Reference Link | |
Exposure Assessment | |
Dangerous When Wet | Yes - A material that, by contact with water, is liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas at a rate greater than 1 L per kilogram of the material, per hour; [ERG 2004] |
Explanatory Notes | VP = 1 mm Hg 100 degrees C; [HSDB] The Guide from the Emergency Response Guidebook is for "Aluminum chloride, anhydrous." |
Adverse Effects | |
Asthma | Yes |
Toxic Pneumonitis | Yes |
Dermatotoxin | Skin Burns |
Links to Other NLM Databases | |
Health Studies | Human Health Effects from Hazardous Substances Data Bank: |
Toxicity Information | |
Chemical Information | |
Biomedical References | |
Related Information in HazMap | |
Diseases | Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent: |
Processes | Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: |