Copper oxychloride

Dicopper chloride trihydroxide

Names
IUPAC name Dicopper chloride trihydroxide
Other names Tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) Micronutrients TBCC Intellibond C Copper Hydroxychloride Copper trihydroxyl chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	1332-65-6 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.014.158
Properties
Chemical formula	Cu2(OH)3Cl
Molar mass	213.56
Appearance	Green crystalline solid
Density	3.5 g/cm3
Melting point	250 °C; 482 °F; 523 K
Solubility in water	Insoluble in water, pH 6.9 measured by EPA method SW846-9045
Solubility	Insoluble in organic solvents
Structure
Crystal structure	Atacamite: orthorhombic Paratacamite: rhombohedral Clinoatacamite: monoclinic Botallackite: monoclinic
Coordination geometry	Distorted octahedral
Hazards
Safety data sheet
NFPA 704	0 1 0
Flash point	Non-flammable
US health exposure limits (NIOSH):
PEL (Permissible)	TWA 1 mg/m3 (as Cu)
REL (Recommended)	TWA 1 mg/m3 (as Cu)
IDLH (Immediate danger)	TWA 100 mg/m3 (as Cu)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Y  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Micronutrients TBCC Intellibond C Copper Hydroxychloride

Paratacamite: rhombohedral

Clinoatacamite: monoclinic

Botallackite: monoclinic

Dicopper chloride trihydroxide is the chemical compound with the formula Cu₂(OH)₃Cl. It is often referred to as tribasic copper chloride (TBCC), copper trihydroxyl chloride or copper hydroxychloride. It is a greenish crystalline solid encountered in mineral deposits, metal corrosion products, industrial products, art and archeological objects, and some living systems. It was originally manufactured on an industrial scale as a precipitated material used as either a chemical intermediate or a fungicide. Since 1994, a purified, crystallized product has been produced at the scale of thousands of tons per year, and used extensively as a nutritional supplement for animals.

Cu₂(OH)₃Cl occurs as natural minerals in four polymorphic crystal forms: atacamite, paratacamite, clinoatacamite, and botallackite. Atacamite is orthorhombic, paratacamite is rhombohedral, and the other two polymorphs are monoclinic. Atacamite and paratacamite are common secondary minerals in areas of copper mineralization and frequently form as corrosion products of Cu-bearing metals.

The most common Cu₂(OH)₃Cl polymorph is atacamite. It is an oxidation product of other copper minerals, especially under arid, saline conditions. It was found in fumarolic deposits, and a weathering product of sulfides in subsea black smoker deposits. It was named for the Atacama Desert in Chile. Its color varies from blackish to emerald green. It is the sugar-like coating of dark green glistening crystals found on many bronze objects from Egypt and Mesopotamia. It has also been found in living systems such as the jaws of the marine bloodworm Glycera dibranchiate. The stability of atacamite is evidenced by its ability to endure dynamic regimes in its natural geologic environment.