CERIUM(III) CHLORIDE

Chemical properties

Cerium(III) chloride is a white powder and is used for incandescent gas mantles, spectrography and polymerization of olefins.

Cerium(III) chloride is mainly used as catalyst for petroleum,automobile exhaust catalyst , also used as a raw material for the production of cerium metal and other cerium compounds.

Physical properties

White, very fine powder; hexagonal crystal system; heptahydrate is yellow orthogonal crystal and hygroscopic; density of anhydrous salt 3.97 g/cm³; melts at 817°C; vaporizes at 1,727°C; heptahydrate begins to lose water above 90°C and becomes anhydrous at about 230°C; soluble in water and alcohol; hexahydrate has greater solubility in these solvents.

The Uses of CERIUM(III) CHLORIDE

Cerium(III) chloride is used in incandescent gas mantles, spectrography and polymerization of olefins. It acts as a Lewis acid and used in Friedel-Crafts alkylation and acylation reactions in organic synthesis. It is used as a precursor for the preparation of other cerium salts, such as cerium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate.

Production Methods

Cerium(III) chloride is prepared by the reaction of hydrochloric acid with a cerium salt, such as cerium hydroxide or carbonate, followed by crystallization;
Ce(OH)₃ + 3HCl → CeCl₃ + 3H₂O
Ce₂(CO₃)₃ + 6HCl → 2CeCl₃ + 3CO₂ + 3H₂O.

Flammability and Explosibility

Non flammable

Safety Profile

Poison by intravenous, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous routes. Moderately toxic by ingestion. See also CERIUM COMPOUNDS. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of Cl-