Record Display for the EPA National Library Catalog
RECORD NUMBER: 22 OF 32
|OLS Field Name||OLS Field Data|
|Main Title||Polychlorinated biphenyls : progress and problems /|
|CORP Author||Texas A and M Univ., College Station. ;Guelph Univ. (Ontario).;Environmental Research Lab.-Duluth, MN.|
|Publisher||U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Research Laboratory,|
|Report Number||EPA/600/D-89/236; EPA CR-810995|
|Additional Subjects||Hazardous materials ; Chemical reactions ; Chemical analysis ; Gas chromatography ; Physical properties ; Molecular structure ; Reprints ; Polychlorobiphenyl compounds ; Flame ionization|
|Collation||13 pages ; 28 cm|
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemical products which are synthesized by the direct chlorination of biphenyl. The degree of biphenyl ring chlorination determines the physical properties and applications of commercial PCBs and, therefore, it is not surprising that these compounds were marketed and sold according to their chlorine content. For example, Aroclors 1221, 1232, 1242 and 1254 were produced by the Monsanto Chemical Co. and contain 21, 32, 42, and 54% (by weight) chlorine content. Commercial PCBs are distinguished by their stability and resistance to breakdown by acids, bases, oxidation and reduction, their miscibility with numerous organic solvents, their non-flammability and their excellent electrical insulation properties. Because of these highly desirable physical properties PCBs have enjoyed widespread use as industrial fluids, flame retardants, diluents, hydraulic fluids and as dielectric fluids for capacitors and transformers. Although the total world production of commercial PCBs is unknown, the figure is well in excess of 10 sup 9 lbs.
"Published in: Hazardous Contaminants in Ontario: Human and Environmental Effects, T.C. Hutchinson and S.M. Evans (Eds.), Chapter 5, pp. 60-68 (1985)." Microfiche.