Chloroform is an organic compound with molecular formula CHCl₃ and belongs to the group of compounds known as trihalomethanes. It is available in the form of a clear colorless liquid with a typical odor. It is usually nonflammable, though it burns under extreme conditions. Chloroform is generally produced by the action of bleaching powder on alcohol or on acetone. In this process, the bleaching powder acts partially as an oxidizing agent and partially as a chlorinating agent. In the first stage, alcohol is converted into chloral, CCl₃CHO. The compound is further decomposed into chloroform and calcium formate with the help of calcium hydroxide. Further the chloroform obtained is purified by washing and rectification. It can also be prepared from chlorination of methane.

Chloroform proves an excellent solvent for alkaloids in their base form. In laboratory Chloroform comprising of deuterium (CDCl₃), is commonly used as a solvent in NMR spectroscopy. Chloroform is also majorly used for the production of Freon refrigerant R-22. In laboratories it is used for the preservation of organic tissues, which include anatomical specimens, to prevent decay. It is used as an industrial solvent for in photography, waxes, fats, oils, resins, greases, adhesives and dry cleaning.

Chloroform Market Taxonomy

On the basis of application, the chloroform market is classified into:

• Reagent
• Solvent
• Intermediate

On the basis of end-use industry, the global chloroform market is classified into:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Agriculture
• Chemicals
• Food and Beverages

Chloroform is used as a common solvent in laboratory owing to properties such as miscibility in organic liquids, relatively unreactive nature and conveniently volatile. In the pharmaceutical industry chloroform is used as a solvent and for also used for producing dyes and pesticides. Chloroform is commercially used to extract morphine from scopolamine and poppies from Datura plants. In molecular biology chloroform has many applications such as in DNA extraction from cells, using an extraction buffer, extraction of mineral oil from polymerase chain reaction samples, DNA recovery from polyacrylamide gels, using phenol, storage of lambda cDNA, lambda plaques, and plasmid DNA extraction,

Chloroform Market Outlook – Rising Demand in Chemicals and allied Industries to be the Major Market Driver  

Asia Pacific and North America are expected to be the most potential markets for chloroform manufacturers. According to IBEF, India is the seventh largest producer of chemicals in the world worldwide and third largest producer in Asia. The estimated size of Indian chemicals sector stands at approximately US$ 139 billion. In 2015-2016 the total production of the major chemicals including petrochemicals was 23.9 million tons. The Indian chemicals industry has attracted various foreign investors such as Akzo Nobel, BASF, ADEKA, Mitsubishi Chemicals Corporation, Syngenta, DuPont, Henkel, Croda, Wacker Metroark, DyStar, and Rhodla. India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) is a Trust established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce in collaboration with the Government of India with the purpose of promoting and creating international awareness of goods manufactured in India.

Extensive use in the chemicals and pharmaceutical industry is fueling the growth of chloroform market, especially in Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. Product innovation and expansion in various geographies is a key strategy adopted by the major players in the chloroform market. In January 2016, Aditya Birla Chemicals Limited merged with Grasim Industries, which is one of the leading chloro alkali manufacturers in India. This collaboration has increased the production capacity from 453K TPA to 804K TPA. Some of the major companies operating in the global chloroform market include Amadis Chemicals, Sigma-Aldrich, Chem Tik, MP Biomedicals, Tokyo Chemical Industry, abce CGmbH, AKos Consulting & Solutions, Mcule, Acadechem, Wutech, Molepedia, iChemical, IS Chemical Technology, Chembase.cn and Life Chemicals.