Public consultation on revised standard for chloroform in India

In April 2023 the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published a draft Indian Standard, Chloroform Pure and Technical, and is asking for comments on this until 4 June 2023.

Other than the well-known anesthetic uses, chloroform (systematic name trichloromethane) is used as follows:

• As solvent for waxes, fats, oils, rubber, and resins

• As a cleansing agent

• In fire extinguishers to lower the freezing temperature of carbon tetrachloride

• In the manufacture of chloro-fluoro methane refrigerants

The BIS standard for chloroform was originally published in 1969 and has since been revised 2 times. In this third revision the following changes are included:

• The requirement of purity has been incorporated with limit of 99.5 % by mass
  for pure grade chloroform and 98 % by mass for technical grade chloroform, which is to be tested by gas chromatographic method.

• The gas chromatography method has been modified for better separation,
  low level detection and quantification of impurities and referred as test method for
  determination of purity.

• Since, the gas chromatography method is more authentic and accurate the
  distillation range characteristics has been made optional parameter to be tested.

• The test method for free chlorine has been modified.

• An alternative test method for colour determination has been incorporated.

• The test for foreign organic matter has been deleted as the synthesis is purely chemical and no biological origin material, stones, sands, lumps of soil are used
  in manufacturing of chloroform.

• The limit for acidity for pure grade has been modified as 0.0005.

The complete draft Standard can be found here: https://www.services.bis.gov.in/tmp/WCPCD5122260_05042023_1.pdf