It is a white or colorless solid at room temperature with a camphor-like odor.

A high purity form can be produced in a small scale by reacting chlorine together with barium carbide.

Hexachloroethane has been used as an anthelmintic in veterinary medicine (under the tradename Avlothane), a rubber accelerator, a component of fungicidal and insecticidal formulations as well as a moth repellant and a plasticizer for cellulose esters.

[7][8] According to Steinritz et al., "Due to its potential pulmonary toxicity," zinc chloride producing smoke grenades "have been discharged from the armory of most western countries (...).

[11] At the time, journalists photographed numerous smoke canisters labeled "HC", and measured unusually high levels of zinc and chloride in the area.