Dichloromethane is a volatile colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor. Dichloromethane is used in a variety of industrial processes, including paint stripping, pharmaceuticals, paint stripper manufacturing, and many different industries such as metal cleaning and degreasing.

A common use of dichloromethane in a typical laboratory setting is as a solvent, especially as an extract for gas chromatography. Other uses include decaffeination of coffee and tea, metal cleaning and degreasing, pharmaceutical and adhesive manufacturing, polyurethane foam and polycarbonate resin production, and chemical peeling.

It is a clear, colorless liquid with a moderate sweetness. Dichloromethane is extremely volatile and has a low boiling point (104°F) and vapor pressure (350mm Hg). Combined with its heavier-than-air molecular weight, methylene chloride presents a serious inhalation hazard.

What chemical is dichloromethane used for?

Dichloromethane (DCM) is a non-flammable, volatile chemical widely used as an organic solvent. Also known as dichloromethane, it has many industrial applications due to its high volatility and ability to dissolve compounds. But what exactly is it used for? Dichloromethane is commonly used in aerosol products such as spray paint.

Why use dichloromethane to extract caffeine?

Caffeine extraction. Dichloromethane is the solvent of choice when separating organic compounds such as caffeine from compound mixtures. This is because the solubility of caffeine in DCM is 140 mg/ml, more than six times its solubility in water.

What is dichloromethane used for?

Used in paint strippers; used as a solvent in cement for transparent plastics, often mixed with other solvents to help dissolve resins used in contact adhesives; used as an extraction solvent for coffee, spice and hop decaffeination; textiles Carrier solvent in industry; used as solvent.

What is the use of DCM in organic chemistry?

How to use dichloromethane? Although dichloromethane is immiscible with water, it is capable of dissolving many organic compounds. These properties, combined with its volatility, make DCM an efficient solvent in many industrial processes. Commonly, DCM is used as a paint stripper.

Why is dichloromethane used in extraction?

In the laboratory, dichloromethane is used to extract chemicals such as steroids, antibiotics and vitamins from plants or food. Medical equipment can be cleaned quickly and efficiently with methylene chloride cleaners without causing corrosion problems or damaging heat-sensitive components.

What are the side effects of exposure to dichloromethane?

Dichloromethane, a common solvent in paint strippers, is used in laboratory liquid-liquid extractions. Acute toxicity results from central nervous system depression and death due to exposure. The main route of exposure to methylene chloride is inhalation, but absorption through the skin is also a problem. Acute inhalation produces central nervous system depression and, at very high concentrations, anesthesia and ultimately respiratory failure and death. As methylene chloride is metabolized to formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, prolonged exposure can produce carbon monoxide-type symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and dizziness. Skin contact can cause irritation and chemical burns.