ABSTRACT
Chloroform was probably the first chlorinated solvent to gain commercial significance. In 1846 the use of this compound was established as a general
anesthetic. 1860 chloroform was in commercial production. The commercial significance of other chlorinated solvents did not begin to develop until the early I900s when the process for liquefying chlorine was commercialized. The ability to transport chlorine opened its availability as a raw material in widespread commercial application. The substantial growth that has placed chlorinated solvents in a dominant position in the organic chemical industry has occurred over the last 25 years, paralleling the great expansion that has occurred in the petrochemical field.
