Chromyl chloride is a volatile compound, with a high vapor pressure. It resembles bromine very much. The liquid is somewhat darker than bromine, and its color is more red, the vapor really resembles the vapor of bromine.

Chemically speaking, chromyl chloride is a strong oxidizer and it is very air-sensitive. In contact with water it is hydrolysed immediately to chromic acid and hydrogen chloride. The brown vapor fumes, when in contact with air, due to the formation of HCl.

The sample shown here is small, it is just a single drop of liquid, but it nicely shows the properties of the liquid and the orange/brown gaseous chromyl chloride.