Aluminium chloride

<p>Aluminium chloride, also known as aluminium trichloride, is an <a href="/facts/Inorganic_compound/TfFfzxSz">inorganic compound</a> with the formula AlCl3. It forms a <a href="/facts/Hexahydrate/dev82l69">hexahydrate</a>  with the formula [Al(H2O)6]Cl3, containing six <a href="/facts/Water_of_hydration/sbaKJNJX">water molecules of hydration</a>. Both the anhydrous form and the hexahydrate are colourless crystals, but samples are often contaminated with <a href="/facts/Iron(III)_chloride/a51pulq1">iron(III) chloride</a>, giving them a yellow colour.
</p><p>The anhydrous form is commercially important. It has a low melting and boiling point. It is mainly produced and consumed in the production of aluminium, but large amounts are also used in other areas of the chemical industry. The compound is often cited as a <a href="/facts/Lewis_acid/qlLqRvg2">Lewis acid</a>. It is an <a href="/facts/Inorganic_compound/TfFfzxSz">inorganic compound</a> that <a href="/facts/Reversible_reaction/V3Afejgb">reversibly changes</a> from a <a href="/facts/Polymer/eF32E50K">polymer</a> to a <a href="/facts/Monomer/Gw3CltMb">monomer</a> at mild temperature.
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Aluminium chloride open-in-new

Aluminium chloride