Epichlorohydrin (abbreviation ECH), also known as 3-chloro-1, 2-propylene oxide, chemical formula C3H5CIO, is a colorless liquid, organic compounds similar to chloroform odor, mainly used as raw materials for organic synthesis, but also used as solvents, plasticizers, surfactants, etc.
In the 1960s, with the development of the electronics industry, the demand for epoxy resins increased rapidly, and epichlorohydrin, one of the two major raw materials of epoxy resins, entered a period of rapid development, with propylene as the initial raw material. In order to meet the needs of the development of epoxy resin production, propylene chloride was used as raw material for production in the later stage.
On October 27, 2017, the list of carcinogens published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO), epichlorohydrin belongs to the list of class 2A carcinogens.
