When we watch football games, we often see this scene: after an athlete falls to the ground due to a collision or sprained ankle, the team doctor will immediately rush over with a spray in hand, spray the injured area a few times, and the athlete will soon be back on the field and continue to participate in the game. So, what exactly does this spray contain?
The liquid in the spray is an organic chemical called ethyl chloride, commonly known as the “chemical doctor” of the sports field. Ethyl chloride is a gas at normal pressure and temperature. It is liquefied under high pressure and then canned in a spray can. When athletes are injured, such as with soft tissue contusions or strains, ethyl chloride is sprayed onto the injured area. Under normal pressure, the liquid quickly vaporizes into a gas.
We have all come into contact with this in physics. Liquids need to absorb a large amount of heat when they vaporize. Part of this heat is absorbed from the air, and part is absorbed from human skin, causing the skin to freeze quickly, causing the subcutaneous capillaries to contract and stop bleeding, while making people feel no pain. This is similar to local anesthesia in medicine.
Ethyl chloride is a colorless gas with an ether-like odor. It is slightly soluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents. Ethyl chloride is primarily used as a raw material for tetraethyl lead, ethyl cellulose, and ethylcarbazole dyes. It can also be used as a smoke generator, refrigerant, local anesthetic, insecticide, ethylating agent, olefin polymerization solvent, and gasoline anti-knock agent. It can also be used as a catalyst for polypropylene and as a solvent for phosphorus, sulfur, oils, resins, waxes, and other chemicals. It is also used in the synthesis of pesticides, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and their intermediates.
Post time: Jul-30-2025
