Chlorofluorocarbons

n. type of greenhouse gas, one of the gases thought to be responsible for the hole in the ozone layer, CFC (Ecology)

The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are a group of chemical compounds, consisting of alkanes, such as methane or ethane, with one or more halogens linked, such as chlorine or fluorine, making them a type of organic halide. They are known under many chemical and commercial names. As fire extinguishants, propellants and solvents they have or had wide use. Some haloalkanes (those containing chlorine or bromine) are believed to have negative effects on the environment such as ozone depletion. The most widely known family within this group are the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
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Noun
1. a fluorocarbon with chlorine; formerly used as a refrigerant and as a propellant in aerosol cans; "the chlorine in CFCs causes depletion of atmospheric ozone"
(synonym) CFC
(hypernym) fluorocarbon
(hyponym) hydrochlorofluorocarbon, HCFC

chemical substances believed to deplete the protective ozone layer of the earth's upper atmosphere; used until recently in refrigerants and in numerous aerosol products.

A family of inert, nontoxic, and easily liquefied chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning, packaging, insulation, or as solvents and aerosol propellants. Because CFCs are not destroyed in the lower atmosphere they drift into the upper atmosphere where their chlorine components destroy ozone. (See: fluorocarbons.)