tetrachloroethylene

tetrachloroethylene, a colorless, dense, nonflammable, highly stable liquid belonging to the family of organic halogen compounds. ). Tetrachloroethylene is a powerful solvent for many organic substances. By the mid-20th century it had become the most widely used solvent in dry cleaning (displacing carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene) and was commonly used for cleaning metal objects in vapor-degreasing apparatuses. Small quantities were also employed as an anthelmintic, particularly against hookworms. The broad acceptance of tetrachloroethylene was based...