Chloroform, also known as trichloromethane, is usually considered an intermediate rather than a solvent. Chloroform has been used almost entirely for the production of the refrigerant HCFC-22, which was the first-generation replacement for trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) and dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12). The application for chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22) as a refrigerant in air conditioners and refrigerators is an emissive end use and, since 2010, is being phased out in the developed world. Beginning in 2030, no production or import of HCFC-22 will be allowed globally.
The other primary end use for chloroform is as an intermediate for making thermally stable fluoroplastic monomers. Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) can be polymerized to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and used to coat kitchen ovens, cooking pots and pans, and other household utensils and appliances that are subjected to high temperatures. This area is one of the fastest-growing applications of chloroform. Chloroform is also used in pharmaceutical manufacturing and as a solvent in various pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical syntheses.
