Diallyldimethylammonium chloride

Diallyldimethylammonium chloride (CAS 7398-69-8), commonly abbreviated as DADMAC, is a quaternary ammonium monomer used primarily as a building block for cationic polyelectrolytes.

These polymers carry a permanent positive charge that enables charge-based interactions with negatively charged substrates, driving its adoption across water treatment, paper manufacturing, and personal care.

In water treatment, DADMAC-derived poly-DADMAC functions as a primary coagulant and flocculant, destabilizing suspended solids and colloidal particles in municipal and industrial effluent streams.

Paper and pulp producers use cationic polyelectrolytes built from DADMAC as retention aids and drainage aids, improving fiber retention and sheet formation efficiency during the manufacturing process.

In personal care, it polymerizes into conditioning agents that deposit on hair and skin, reducing static and improving combability in various rinse-off and leave-on formulations for consumers.

Textile and leather processors apply DADMAC-based polymers as fixatives to improve dye uptake and reduce effluent color load, ensuring more sustainable and efficient production cycles in these industries.

DADMAC is supplied as an aqueous solution, most commonly at 60–65% active content. Technical grade is the standard offering for industrial polymerization and water treatment applications worldwide.

Specifications are typically defined by active monomer content, residual impurity limits, and viscosity parameters relevant to polymerization performance and final product quality in chemical synthesis.