Concept information
Preferred term
hydrogen cyanide
Definition(s)
- Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure H−C≡N. It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at 25.6 °C (78.1 °F). HCN is produced on an industrial scale and is a highly valued precursor to many chemical compounds ranging from polymers to pharmaceuticals. Large-scale applications are for the production of potassium cyanide and adiponitrile, used in mining and plastics, respectively. It is more toxic than solid cyanide compounds due to its volatile nature. HCN has been measured in Titan's atmosphere by four instruments on the Cassini space probe, one instrument on Voyager, and one instrument on Earth. One of these measurements was in situ, where the Cassini spacecraft dipped between 1,000 and 1,100 km (620 and 680 mi) above Titan's surface to collect atmospheric gas for mass spectrometry analysis. HCN has been detected in the interstellar medium and in the atmospheres of carbon stars. Since then, extensive studies have probed formation and destruction pathways of HCN in various environments and examined its use as a tracer for a variety of astronomical species and processes. HCN can be observed from ground-based telescopes through a number of atmospheric windows. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_cyanide)
Broader concept(s)
Synonym(s)
- HCN
In other languages
-
French
-
acide cyanhydrique
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-XTSW02SM-N
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