Properties
Most of the PCB congeners in pure form are colourless, odourless crystals. Commercial PCB mixtures are clear viscous liquids. Viscosity ofmixtures increase with the number of chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl. Generally PCBs have low water solubilities and low vapour pressures at 25'C, but they are soluble in many organic solvents, oils, and fats.
| Congener Group | Molecular weight (g/mol) |
Vapour Pressure (Pa) |
Water Solubility (g/m3) |
log KOW |
| Monochlorobiphenyl | 188.7 | 0.9-2.5 | 1.21-5.5 | 4.3-4.6 |
| Dichlorobiphenyl | 223.1 | 0.008-0.60 | 0.06-2.0 | 4.9-5.3 |
| Trichlorobiphenyl | 257.5 | 0.003-0.22 | 0.015-0.4 | 5.5-5.9 |
| Tetrachlorobiphenyl | 292.0 | 0.002 | 0.0043-0.010 | 5.6-6.5 |
| Pentachlorobiphenyl | 326.4 | 0.0023-0.051 | 0.004-0.02 | 6.2-6.5 |
| Hexachlorobiphenyl | 360.9 | 0.0007-0.012 | 0.0004-0.0007 | 6.7-7.3 |
| Heptachlorobiphenyl | 395.3 | 0.00025 | 0.000045-0.0002 | 6.7-7 |
| Oktachlorobiphenyl | 429.8 | 0.0006 | 0.0002-0.0003 | 7.1 |
| Nonachlorobiphenyl | 464.2 | - | 0.00018-0.0012 | 7.2-8.16 |
| Dekachlorobiphenyl | 498.7 | 0.00003 | 0.000001-0.0000761 | 8.26 |
