More info:
Chlorine is a gas at room temperature and pressure, perhaps best known for use as chemical warefare agent in World War I. However, in the last century chlorine has saved many more lives than it has claimed. Chlorine containing compounds are widely used in a range of disinfectants and for public sanitation. Chlorine tablets used to purify drinking water are typically sodium dichloroisiocyanurate, which slowly releases chlorine when dissolved in water. Salt (NaCl) is by far the most common compound of chlorine (and is of course commonly found in crystalline form!) and about 20% of chlorine is used to make PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
More info about the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) in crystals project:
This project (#IYPTCrystals) is part of the International Year of the Periodic Table celebration (#IYPT2019), read more about the project here. You can follow us on social media using #IYPTCrystals and learn more about the wonders of crystals by following the CCDC on Twitter @ccdc_cambridge on Facebook ccdc.cambridge, on Instagram ccdc_cambridge or on YouTube CCDCCambridge.
If you want to find out more about some of the terms and concepts we have a Frequently Asked Questions Page.