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Chlorine
a monatomic element; symbol Cl; at. wt. 35.5. Discovered by Scheele in 1774. It was thought by Berthollet to contain oxygen, and was called by him oxymuriatic acid. It was found to be an element by Davy in 1810. Chlorine is a yellow-green incombustible gas. It has a powerful irritating smell, and attacks violently the mucous membranes and the lungs. It is very soluble in water, acts strongly on metals, and is best collected by displacement. Sp. gr. 2.47. At the pressure of five atmospheres it is condensed into a heavy yellow liquid. It is obtained by heating common salt, sodium chloride, with sulphuric acid and black oxide of manganese. It combines with hydrogen to form hydrochloric acid, with an explosion in direct sunlight or when fire is applied to a mixture of the two gases, but slowly in diffused daylight. A solution of it in water is gradually converted in the sunlight into HCl with liberation of oxygen. A lighted candle burns in Cl with a smoky flame. Phosphorus, antimony, arsenic, and turpentine take fire in chlorine. Chlorine destroys animal and vegetable matter; and forms addition and substitution compounds with organic compounds; an aqueous solution of it has powerful bleaching properties. It is also a powerful disinfectant. It occurs in nature in the form of metallic chlorides. Three oxides of Chlorine are known, Cl₂O; Cl2O3; Cl2O4. Chlorine was extensively used during the World War in connection with the manufacture of ASPHYXIATING GAS (q. v.).
CHLOROSIS