Question

Write the formula of the Freon-12.

Answer 1

Hint:Dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12) is a colourless gas usually sold under the brand name Freon-12. It is used as a refrigerant and aerosol spray solvent.

Complete step by step solution:
Freon-12 has other names such as carbon dichloride difluoride, dichloro difluoro methane, R-12, CFC-12, P-12, propellant 12, Halon 122, Arcton 6, Arcton 12, E940, Refrigerant 12, etc. The substance can be prepared by the reaction of carbon tetrachloride with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of antimony pentachloride. The reaction goes as follows:
\[\text{CC}{{\text{l}}_{\text{4}}}\text{+ 2HF}\to \text{CC}{{\text{l}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{F}}_{\text{2}}}\text{+ 2HCl}\]
This reaction can also produce trichlorofluoromethane $\text{CC}{{\text{l}}_{\text{3}}}\text{F}$, chlorotrifluoromethane $\text{Cl}{{\text{F}}_{\text{3}}}\text{C}$, and trifluoromethane $\text{C}{{\text{F}}_{\text{4}}}$.

Hence, the answer is $\text{C}{{\text{F}}_{\text{2}}}\text{C}{{\text{l}}_{\text{2}}}$.

Additional Information:
Freon-12 was used as refrigeration and vehicle air conditioning applications prior to 1994 before being replaced by 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, which has insignificant ozone depletion potential. The first CFCs were synthesized by Frederic Swarts. In 1930, General motors and DuPont Chemicals formed the kinetic chemicals to form the Freon, their product is now designated as Freon-12. The name “R-12” comes from “Refrigerant Class Number” developed by DuPont to systematically identify single halogenated hydrocarbons.

Note:
Though Freon-12 was developed as a gas for the refrigerant and aerosol spray solvent, complying to the Montreal Protocol, its manufacture was banned in developed countries (non-article 5 countries) in 1996 and developing countries (article 5 countries) in 2010 out of concern about its damaging effect to the ozone layer. It is only allowed to be used as a fire retardant in submarines and aircrafts. It is only soluble in organic solvents.