How to get rid of excess oxalyl chloride?

The most common and safe way to remove excess oxalyl chloride is to quench it slowly with ice water or ice-cold aqueous sodium bicarbonate under well-ventilated conditions, as it reacts vigorously to release HCl and CO gas and must be handled carefully to avoid splashing or pressure buildup. Alternatively, it can be decomposed by adding a small amount of methanol or ethanol dropwise at low temperature, which converts oxalyl chloride into harmless esters and hydrogen chloride, and residual volatile components can also be removed by gentle vacuum evaporation after quenching.

You may like