halocarbon

/hal'euh kahr"beuhn/, n. Chem.

any of a class of compounds containing carbon, one or more halogens, and sometimes hydrogen.

[1945-50; HALO- + CARBON]

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▪ chemical compound

      any chemical compound of the element carbon and one or more of the halogens (bromine, chlorine, fluorine, iodine); two important subclasses of halocarbons are the chlorocarbons, containing only carbon and chlorine, and the fluorocarbons (fluorocarbon), containing only carbon and fluorine. Examples of chlorocarbons are carbon tetrachloride and tetrachloroethylene; the best known fluorocarbon is the resin polytetrafluoroethylene, called Teflon. Several, but not all, of the Freons (q.v.) are halocarbons, as is the resin polychlorotrifluoroethylene (q.v.; Kel-F). The nonflammability, low chemical reactivity, and low toxicity of many of the halocarbons are their most valuable properties (see organohalogen compound).

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