PHOSGENE


Meaning of PHOSGENE in English

n.

or carbonyl chloride

Colorless, highly toxic gas used in chemical warfare as well as in industrial processes including the making of dyestuffs and polyurethane resins.

Either alone or in combination with chlorine , it was used against troops in World War I. It smells like musty hay. Inhalation causes severe lung injury several hours after exposure. First prepared in 1811, it is manufactured by the reaction of carbon monoxide and chlorine in the presence of a catalyst. Gaseous phosgene is usually stored and transported as a liquid under pressure in steel cylinders or as a solution in toluene . Mixed with water, it forms carbon dioxide and hydrochloric acid .

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.