Epichlorohydrin is a kind of organochlorine compound as well as epoxide. It can be used as an industrial solvent. It is a highly reactive compound, and can be used for the production of glycerol, plastics, epoxy glues and resins, and elastomers. It can also be used for the production of glycidyl nitrate and alkali chloride, used as the solvent of cellulose, resins, and paint as well as being used as an insect fumigant.
In biochemistry, it can be used as a crosslinking agent for the production of Sephdex size-exclusion chromatography resins. However, it is a potential carcinogen, and can cause various kinds of side effects on respiratory tract and kidneys. It can be manufactured through the reaction between allyl chloride with hypochlorous acid as well as alcohols.Epoxy resins of the bisphenol A type are synthesized from epichlorhydrin and bisphenol A. This leads to bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether, which is the monomer of bisphenol-A-based epoxy resins. Sensitization to epichlorhydrin occurs mainly in workers in the epoxy-resin industry. Sensitization in individuals not working at epoxy resin plants is rare. It has however been described to occur after contact with a soil fumigant, due to solvent cement and in a worker in a pharmaceutical plant, in a division for drug synthesis. Epichlorhydrin was used for the production of both drugs propranolol and oxprenolol.