Dichloromethane

Dichloromethane (CAS 75-09-2), also known as DCM, R 30, and Salesthin, is a fast-evaporating chlorinated solvent.

Where is Dichloromethane used?

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing: process solvent for active ingredient extraction, recrystallization, and film coating of tablets and capsules
• Printing and packaging: solvent-based adhesives and paint stripper component
• Polymer processing: dissolves and welds polycarbonate and engineering plastics for precision bonding in automotive and electronics components
• It also serves as a blowing agent carrier and processing aid in foam and polymer formulations.
• Solvent for organic reactions such as Grignard, halogenation, and Friedel–Crafts.
• Carrier solvent in HPLC and GC sample preparation.

Good to know: Pharmaceutical-grade material meets USP, BP, and Ph. Eur. specifications for regulated manufacturing environments.

Formulation notes

• Latex, nitrile, neoprene, polyethylene, and butyl rubber gloves are not recommended for use with dichloromethane.

Typical specification

• Purity at least 99.8% by GC.
• Water content at most 0.02% by Karl Fischer.
• Methanol content at most 50 ppm.
• Residue on evaporation at most 5 ppm.

Regulatory status

• EU occupational exposure limit is 353 mg/m³ (100 ppm) as TWA and 706 mg/m³ (200 ppm) as STEL, with skin notation.
• Classified as suspected human carcinogen (Category 2) under EU CLP.
• Classified for transport under UN Class 6.1 with packing group III.
• Restriction applies to paint strippers containing dichloromethane at a concentration equal to or greater than 0.1% by weight.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Available in 200 L (55 gal) steel drums, 1,000 L IBCs, and bulk tanker loads for industrial scale.
• Under ideal conditions, it remains stable for 12 months.

Frequently asked questions about Dichloromethane

What are the explosive limits of dichloromethane in air?

Dichloromethane has explosive limits of 13-22 vol% in air.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.