Aluminium monochloride, or chloridoaluminium is the metal halide with the formula AlCl. Aluminium monochloride as a molecule is thermodynamically stable at high temperature and low pressure only.[2] This compound is produced as a step in the Alcan process to smelt aluminium from an aluminium-rich alloy. When the alloy is placed in a reactor that is heated to 1,300 °C and mixed with aluminium trichloride, a gas of aluminium monochloride is produced.[3]
- 2 Al(alloy) + AlCl3(gas) → 3 AlCl(gas)
It then disproportionates into aluminium melt and aluminium trichloride upon cooling to 900 °C.
This molecule has been detected in the interstellar medium, where molecules are so dilute that intermolecular collisions are unimportant.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "chloridoaluminium (CHEBI:30131)". Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI). UK: European Bioinformatics Institute.
- ^ Chase, M. W.; Curnutt, J. L.; Prophet, H.; McDonald, R. A.; Syverud, A. N. (1975-01-01). "JANAF thermochemical tables, 1975 supplement". Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data. 4 (1): 1–176. Bibcode:1975JPCRD...4....1C. doi:10.1063/1.555517. ISSN 0047-2689.
- ^ Totten, George E.; MacKenzie, D. Scott (2003). Handbook of Aluminum. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8247-0896-2.
- ^ J. Cernicharo, M. Guelin (1987). "Metals in IRC+10216 - Detection of NaCl, AlCl, and KCl, and tentative detection of AlF". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 183 (1): L10–L12. Bibcode:1987A&A...183L..10C.
