Methylene Chloride Shandong China Famous Factory

Dichloromethane (DCM, or methylene chloride) is an organic compound with the formula CH2CL2. This colorless, volatile liquid with a moderately sweet aroma is widely used as a solvent.

Although it is not miscible with water, it is miscible with many organic solvents. One of the most well-known applications of dichloromethane is in the drinking bird heat engine.

Title Methylene Chloride Other Name DCM
Purity 99.99%min Formula CH2CL2
CAS NO. 75-09-2 EINECS NO. 200-838-9
Class 6 Appearance Colorless Liquid

Occurrence

Natural sources of dichloromethane include oceanic sources, macroalgae, wetlands, and volcanoes. However, the majority of dichloromethane in the environment is the result of industrial emissions.


Production

DCM is produced by treating either chloromethane or methane with chlorine gas at 5400-500℃.

At these temperatures, both methane and chloromethane undergo a series of reactions producing progressively more chlorinated products. In this way, an estimated 400’000 tons were produced in the US, Europe and Japan in 1993.


Uses

DCM’s volatility and ability to dissolve a wide range of organic compounds makes it a useful solvent for many chemical processes.

It is widely used as a paint stripper and a degreaser. In the food industry, it has been used to decaffeinate coffee and tea as well as to prepare extracts of hops and other flavorings. Its volatility has led to its use as an aerosol spray propellant and as a blowing agent for polyurethane foams.

Specialized uses
The chemical compound’s low boiling point allows the chemical to function in a heat engine that can extract mechanical energy from all temperature differences. An example of a DCM heat engine is the drinking bird. The toy works at room temperature.

DCM chemicallly welds certain plastics. For example, it is used to seal the casing of electric meters. Often sold as a main component of plastic welding adhesives, it is also used extensively by model building hobbyists for joining plastic components together. It is commonly referred to as “Di-clo.”

It is used in the garment printing industry for removal of heat-sealed garment transfers, and its volatility is exploited in novelty items: bubble lights and jukebox displays. DCM is used in the material testing field of civil engineering: specifically it is used during the testing of bituminous materials as a solvent to separate the binder from the aggregate of an asphalt or macadam to allow the testing of the materials.

Regulation
In many countries, products containing DCM must carry labels warning of its health risks.In February 2013, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health warned that at least 14 bathtub refinishers have died since 2000 from DCM exposure. These workers had been working alone, in poorly ventilated bathrooms, with inadequate or no respiratory protection, and no training about the hazards of DCM. OSHA has since then issued a DCM standard. In the European Union, the

European Parliament voted in 2009 to ban the use of DCM in paint-strippers for consumers and many professionals. The ban book effect in December 2010.

In Europe, the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limit Values (SCOEL) recommends for DCM an occupational exposure limit(8 h time-weighted average) of 100 ppm and a short-term exposure limit (15min) of 200 ppm. Concerns about its health effects have led to search for alternative in many of these applications.