cupric chloride

chemical compound

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June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

Cupric chloride, also known as copper(II) chloride, is a chemical compound of copper and chlorine. It typically appears as a yellowish-brown, deliquescent powder when anhydrous, or as a green crystalline dihydrate.1

Cupric chloride has various industrial applications, including use as a mordant in dyeing and printing fabrics, and in some metallurgical processes. It can also be found in pigments and fungicides.1

Copper itself is a reddish metal, known for its excellent conductivity of electricity and heat. It has been used by humans since the Neolithic period and is found in nature in its free metallic state as well as in various compounds, including chlorides.2

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copper
Principal compounds
Cupric chloride is a yellowish to brown powder that readily absorbs moisture from the air and turns into the greenish blue hydrate, CuCl₂∙2H₂O. The hydrate is commonly prepared by passing chlorine and water in a contacting tower packed with metallic copper. The anhydrous salt is…
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Cupric chloride is a yellowish to brown powder that readily absorbs moisture from the air and turns into the greenish blue hydrate, CuCl₂∙2H₂O. The hydrate is commonly prepared by passing chlorine and water in a contacting tower packed with metallic copper. The anhydrous salt is…
Read More

copper processing
Halides
Cupric chloride, CuCl₂, can be prepared by dissolving cupric oxide in hydrochloric acid. This material finds some use as the base salt for the manufacture of pigments. Cuprous iodide, CuI, is prepared by the direct combination of copper and iodine. Cupric iodide, CuI₂, exists only…
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Cupric chloride, CuCl₂, can be prepared by dissolving cupric oxide in hydrochloric acid. This material finds some use as the base salt for the manufacture of pigments. Cuprous iodide, CuI, is prepared by the direct combination of copper and iodine. Cupric iodide, CuI₂, exists only…
Read More