Tungsten hexachloride is the chemical compound of tungsten and chlorine with the formula WCl6. This dark violet blue species exists as a volatile solid under standard conditions.
Basic Information:
English Name: Tungsten Hexachloride
Chemical Formula: WCl6
CAS Number: 13283-01-7
EC Number: 236-293-9
Molar mass: 396.61 g/mol
Appearance: Dark blue crystals, moisture sensitive
Density: 3.52 g/cm3
Melting point: 275 °C (527 °F; 548 K)
Boiling point: 346.7 °C (656.1 °F; 619.8 K)
Solubility in water: hydrolyzes
Solubility in chlorocarbons: soluble
Magnetic susceptibility (χ): −71.0•10−6 cm3/mol
Structure: Crystal structure
Safety considerations: WCl6 is an aggressively corrosive oxidant, and hydrolyzes to release hydrogen chloride.
Tungsten hexachloride can be prepared by chlorinating tungsten metal in a sealed tube at 600 °C:
Reaction equation: W + 3Cl2 → WCl6
Applications of WCl6:
1. Catalyst in synthesis of engineer plastics PDCPD.
2. Refine of high purity tungsten and preparation of WC.
3. Precursor of nano particle tungsten.
