CFC-113 was one of the most heavily produced CFCs. In 1989, an estimated 250,000 tons were produced. It has been used as a cleaning agent for electrical and electronic components. CFC-113’s low flammability and low toxicity made it ideal for use as a cleaner for delicate electrical equipment, fabrics, and metals. It would not harm the product it was cleaning, ignite with a spark or react with other chemicals. It was used as a dry-cleaning solvent, introduced by Du Pont in March 1961 as "Valclene" and was also marketed as the "solvent of the future" by Imperial Chemical Industries in the 1970s under the tradename Arklone. Others from this series were Perklone (Tetrachloroethylene), Triklone (Trichloroethylene), Methoklone (Dichloromethane) and Genklene (1,1,1-Trichloroethane).
CFC-113 is one of the three most popular CFCs, along with CFC-11 and CFC-12.
CFC-113 in laboratory analytics has been replaced by other solvents.
Reduction of CFC-113 with zinc gives chlorotrifluoroethylene: