Fires in the home are responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries in Europe each year. They also lead to millions of euros of damage to buildings and their contents. But the application of flame retardants to household items can dramatically reduce the chance of a fire developing. This limits the production of smoke which … Continued

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is often used as a sustainable replacement for wood or aluminium to make door and window frames. Advantages of using PVC for these applications include its excellent resistance to weathering, shock and abrasion. It is easily processed into different styles and is easy to clean and doesn’t require repainting every few … Continued

Although chlorine is not present in the finished polymer materials, both polyurethane and polyisocyanurate are synthesized from chlorinated compounds. These lightweight materials perform extremely well as insulators even at small thicknesses. Today, billions of euros a year are being wasted on maintaining the temperature of poorly-insulated buildings. Chlorine chemistry can help to address this problem … Continued

In those days, Scheele was not aware of the fact that he had discovered one of the 92 natural elements that would be regrouped – about a century later – by Dmitri Mendeleev in his famous Periodic Table of the Elements. Wilhelm Scheele was a clever chemical and pharmaceutical scientist. He also discovered the gases … Continued

It starts, of course, with good old plain salt: its chemical formula is sodium chloride. We find massive quantities of it in the oceans and in salt mines, where former seas have deposited the salt. There is no “free chlorine” in salt, but it is widely used as a material to produce pure chlorine (Cl2). How … Continued

Hydrochloric acid (whose chemical formula is HCl) is a strong, aggressive acid. Technically-speaking it is very corrosive. But it can also take part in many types of chemical reactions in your stomach: – HCl breaks down the proteins you eat for use in the synthesis of muscle and body tissue – It prevents bacterial pathogens … Continued

The chlorine we find in our body is mainly present as Hydrochloric acid (concentrated stuff!) in your stomach, to help digest your food Salts in your blood stream and body cells Some complex molecules like hormone derivatives Some complex reactions like the conversion of cholesterol in your veins The blood’s defence system against bacteria > … Continued

You bet you do! You sleep on them (your mattress) and walk on them (your shoe soles). You drive on them (synthetic rubber tyres) and wear them (polyester textiles). You work with them (your computer) and communicate with them (your smartphone). These are all objects that contain no chlorine in the finished product, but they … Continued

Common in school laboratories world-wide, hydrochloric (or muriatic) acid (chemical formula HCl) is a very simple molecule: it is simply one atom of hydrogen and one atom of chlorine that have exchanged one electron, thus forming an electrically charged bond. At room temperature the molecule is a gas, but once dissolved in water it is … Continued

PVC wallpaper, for example, can be created in any colour of the rainbow and any design imaginable. Even embossed finishes are possible. Long-lasting and easy to install, most PVC wallpapers are washable if they become dirty. Other PVC solutions for walls include panels which can also be applied to ceilings. PVC panels are ideal for … Continued