Page 104 - Chemical and process design handbook

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ALUMINUM CHLORIDE

Aluminum chloride (AlCl ) is a white solid when pure that sublimes on
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heating and, in the presence of moisture, decomposes with the evolution of
hydrogen chloride.
Anhydrous aluminum chloride is manufactured primarily by the reac-
tion of chlorine vapor on molten aluminum.
2Al + 3Cl → 2AlCl
2 3
In the process, chlorine is fed in below the surface of the aluminum, and
the product sublimes and is collected by condensing. These air-cooled con-
densers are thin-walled, vertical steel cylinders with conical bottoms.
Aluminum chloride crystals form on the condenser walls and are periodi-
cally removed, crushed, screened, and packaged in steel containers.
Aluminum chloride is used in the petroleum industries and various
aspects of organic chemistry technology. For example, aluminum chloride
is a catalyst in the alkylation of paraffins and aromatic hydrocarbons by
olefins and also in the formation of complex ketones, aldehydes, and car-
boxylic acid derivatives.

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