Chlorocarbon Compounds

Chlorocarbon Compounds

 

Chlorocarbon compounds have influenced society to the point that the refrigeration of various food items involved storage chambers such as refrigerators with an implanted refrigerating agent that undergoes the evaporation-compression cycle at the correct range of temperatures. Whenever a refrigerating agent re-evaporates, it dissipates heat away from the solution/chamber and compresses into a liquid again in preparation for re-evaporation; that is why the process is referred to as refrigeration. A refrigerator requires a refrigerant, which would undergo that cycle. In 1859, ammonia has been used as a refrigerating agent by Ferdinand Carre of France. Sulfur dioxide, for its cooling effects, is used to aid in the formation of artificial ice. Cooling agents include diethyl ether, methyl chloride, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide. A group of compounds called the chlorofluorocarbons are non-toxic, non-flammable, chemically stable, and inexpensive to produce; Du Pont Corporation used Freon 12, Freon 11, and Freon 114. CFCs were noticed to be very effective and efficient refrigerating and cooling agents and influenced various business relationships, corporations, economic growth, industrial advances, and almost every citizen made use of a refrigerator to store their food in a cool storage facility. Air conditioners also contain CFCs or cooling agents, which are applied in homes, offices, malls, factories, and hospitals to provide convenience and comfortable conditions in the building. CFCs were also used to produce propellants, products held under pressure or spray cans, and as foaming agents. Since CFCs are gases at SATP, they are capable of expanding upon releasing from the chamber/container and hold the product in the container under pressure. Even is a large-scale production of CFCs has occurred to produce a variety of products, there are negative effects of these compounds on the ozone layer; molecules of CFCs are very stable, therefore they will not react with any other chemical present in the troposphere until they reach the stratosphere and are broken down by the ultraviolet radiation. The decomposition of CFCs leads to the production of chlorine radicals, which will react with ozone molecules to form diatomic oxygen and chlorine monoxide. The chlorine monoxide molecule that has been produced will react with elemental oxygen to form diatomic oxygen and a chlorine atom; therefore the chlorine atoms are constantly regenerated, which means that one molecule of a CFC is capable of decomposing approximately a hundred thousand ozone molecules before being deactivated. Since ozone molecules are constantly being decomposed into molecular oxygen and elemental oxygen and elemental oxygen reacting with molecular oxygen to produce and regenerate ozone molecules, the ozone layer is constantly being reformed and decomposes, yet the mechanism of action of CFC molecules could potentially upset the balance between oxygen and ozone molecules, according to the observations of Rowland and Molina. Since billions of CFC molecules travel towards the atmosphere every day, the decomposition of the ozone layer will eventually occur, leading to the increased propagation of dangerous ultraviolent rays, without being absorbed and processed, directly onto the surface of the ground, which will act as a more potent physical mutagen and biological hazard. The Montreal Protocol proposes certain countries to ban the usage of CFCs, whoever signs it, yet many countries have not considered arousing awareness on the immense environmental impacts these molecules impose on the ozone layer. A majority of the CFCs leak out of disposed air-conditioning devices and refrigerators. Chlorine gas, itself, is toxic and could cause toxicity and irritation. The first poisonous gas that has been used during the First World War has been the mustard gas, which induced breathings problems and choking. Chlorine gas acts as a potent irritant and causes inflammation of the lining of the respiratory tract, which could eventually lead to death; respiratory impairment and eye damage could also occur as a result of the exposure to this gas. Phosgene gas is also highly toxic and induces death through severe swelling of the tissues in the lungs and airways, leading to suffocation. During the late 1920s, compounds called polychlorinated biphenyls are used as electrical insulators and as coolants, due to their chemical stability at high temperatures and lack of flammability. During the manufacture and production of various plastics or synthetic polymers, the shape of the product should be established by molding it, however an agent is required; the PCBs acted as flexibility-enhancing agents. Polychlorinated biphenyls are compounds that contain two benzene rings bonded to one another with chlorine atoms attached to each benzene ring. However, PCBs lead to damage to the nervous, endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems, along with causing liver failure and cancer, which makes these compounds one of the most dangerous compounds ever synthesized. For prolonged period of time, the potent pesticide, DDT, has been used in many countries as an anti-malarial agent, along with chloroquine, quinine, and antibiotics such as ampicillin and penicillin. DDT has been synthesized during the year 1874 and has been used at first to prevent the accumulation of typhus by eradicating the larvae of the disease-causing mosquitoes. Millions of tons of DDT, by the 1970s, have been produced, yet there are many negative effects the compound has towards human health and the environment. The exposure of DDT to certain species of birds will lead to their shells being soft and fragile when they lay eggs due to a metabolite of DDT inhibiting the enzyme that supplies calcium to their eggs. Another compound, dioxin, is one of the most lethal toxins synthesized; dioxins are also produced during the combustion of synthetic polymers. James Young Simpson, a physician and a professor of medicine has accidently synthesized chloroform or trichloromethane; it is a molecule where three hydrogen atoms on the methane molecule are replaced with three chlorine atoms. During surgical cases, applications of chloroform are more convenient than diethyl ether because it is very flammable. Chloroform has been applied to various surgical operations to induce anesthesia and has been administered to relieve the pain during childbirth, along with morphine and scopolamine. The toxicity of chloroform should be considered as well because during exposure to chloroform, corneal damage, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, renal toxicity, liver toxicity could be noticed. However; the usage of various chlorocarbon compounds improved refrigeration of food items so that they could be transported over long distances and remain in the fridge for a long time without the necessity to place any chunks of ice into the cooling chamber. Other chlorocarbons have been used to improve surgical operations and as anti-malarial agents such as chloroform and DDT. The synthesis of various CFCs has already lead to significant technological advancements because every refrigerator contains refrigerating or cooling agents, which are the CFC molecules. That is why we are able to store various food items such as fruits, vegetables and milk in the fridge for prolonged periods of time. The impact of chlorocarbon compounds on the economy, the monopoly and trade, society, the industry, and refrigeration technologies has been considerably large.