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Aluminum chloride

Aluminium chloride
Aluminium chloride
Aluminium trichloride dimer
Names
IUPAC name
aluminium chloride
Other names
aluminium(III) chloride
aluminum trichloride
Identifiers
7446-70-0 (anhydrous) YesY
10124-27-3 (hydrate) N
7784-13-6 (hexahydrate) N
3D model (Jmol) Interactive image
Interactive image
ChEBI CHEBI:30114 YesY
ChemSpider 22445 YesY
ECHA InfoCard 100.028.371
1876
PubChem 24012
RTECS number BD0530000
UNII LIF1N9568Y YesY
Properties
AlCl3
Molar mass 133.34 g/mol (anhydrous)
241.43 g/mol (hexahydrate)
Appearance white or pale yellow solid,
hygroscopic
Density 2.48 g/cm3 (anhydrous)
1.3 g/cm3 (hexahydrate)
Melting point 192.4 °C (378.3 °F; 465.5 K)
(anhydrous)
100 °C (212 °F; 373 K)
(hexahydrate)
180 °C (356 °F; 453 K)
(sublimes)
Boiling point 120 °C (248 °F; 393 K) (hexahydrate)
43.9 g/100 ml (0 °C)
44.9 g/100 ml (10 °C)
45.8 g/100 ml (20 °C)
46.6 g/100 ml (30 °C)
47.3 g/100 ml (40 °C)
48.1 g/100 ml (60 °C)
48.6 g/100 ml (80 °C)
49 g/100 ml (100 °C)
Solubility soluble in hydrogen chloride, ethanol, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride
slightly soluble in benzene
Vapor pressure 133.3 Pa (99 °C)
13.3 kPa (151 °C)
Viscosity 0.35 cP (197 °C)
0.26 cP (237 °C)
Structure
Monoclinic, mS16
C12/m1, No. 12
Octahedral (solid)
Tetrahedral (liquid)
Trigonal planar
(monomeric vapour)
Thermochemistry
91 J/mol·K
111 J/mol·K
−704.2 kJ/mol
-628.6 kJ/mol
Pharmacology
D10AX01 (WHO)
Hazards
Safety data sheet See: data page
GHS pictograms The corrosion pictogram in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)
GHS signal word Danger
H314
P280, P310, P305+351+338
Corrosive C
R-phrases R34
S-phrases (S1/2), S7/8, S28, S45
NFPA 704
Flammability code 0: Will not burn. E.g., water Health code 3: Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury. E.g., chlorine gas Reactivity code 2: Undergoes violent chemical change at elevated temperatures and pressures, reacts violently with water, or may form explosive mixtures with water. E.g., phosphorus Special hazards (white): no codeNFPA 704 four-colored diamond
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)
anhydrous:
380 mg/kg, rat (oral)
hexahydrate:
3311 mg/kg, rat (oral)
US health exposure limits (NIOSH):
PEL (Permissible)
none
REL (Recommended)
2 mg/m3
IDLH (Immediate danger)
N.D.
Related compounds
Other anions
Aluminium fluoride
Aluminium bromide
Aluminium iodide
Other cations
Boron trichloride
Gallium trichloride
Indium(III) chloride
Magnesium chloride
Related Lewis acids
Iron(III) chloride
Boron trifluoride
Supplementary data page
Refractive index (n),
Dielectric constantr), etc.
Thermodynamic
data
Phase behaviour
solid–liquid–gas
UV, IR, NMR, MS
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N  (what is YesYN ?)
Infobox references

Aluminium chloride (AlCl3) is the main compound of aluminium and chlorine. It is white, but samples are often contaminated with iron trichloride, giving it a yellow colour. The solid has a low melting and boiling point. It is mainly produced and consumed in the production of aluminium metal, but large amounts are also used in other areas of chemical industry. The compound is often cited as a Lewis acid. It is an example of an inorganic compound that "cracks" at mild temperature, reversibly changing from a polymer to a monomer.

AlCl3 adopts three different structures, depending on the temperature and the state (solid, liquid, gas). Solid AlCl3 is a sheet-like layered cubic close packed layers. In this framework, the Al centres exhibit octahedral coordination geometry. In the melt, aluminium trichloride exists as the dimer Al2Cl6, with tetracoordinate aluminium. This change in structure is related to the lower density of the liquid phase (1.78 g/cm3) vs solid aluminium trichloride (2.48 g/cm3). Al2Cl6 dimers are also found in the vapour phase. At higher temperatures, the Al2Cl6 dimers dissociate into trigonal planar AlCl3, which is structurally analogous to BF3. The melt conducts electricity poorly, unlike more ionic halides such as sodium chloride.

The hexahydrate consists of octahedral [Al(H2O)6]3+ centers and chloride counterions. Hydrogen bonds link the cation and anions.


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