Tetrachloroethylene is a nonflammable colorless liquid with a sharp sweet odor; the odor threshold is 1 ppm.

  The chemical formula for tetrachloroethylene is C₂Cl₄, and the molecular weight is 165.83 g/mol.

  The vapor pressure for tetrachloroethylene is 18.47 mm Hg at 25 °C, and it has a log octanol/water partition coefficient (log K_ow) of 3.40.