1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene → 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol

Participants

Reaction Steps

The presently employed technology to produce 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP) commercially involves the declorination of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene with aqueous sodium hydroxide or anhydrous sodium hydroxide in the presence of alcohols under elevated temperatures and pressures to form 2,4,5-TCP according to the flow diagram: ##STR1## Under the conditions of alkalinity, temperature and pressure this process produces between 1 to 100 parts per million of the highly toxic teratogen 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) according to the reaction: ##STR2##

Provenance & Evidence