Dimethylformamide

(Used) wherever a solvent with a slow rate of evaporation is needed.

Pharmaceutical processing and acrylic fiber production, reaction and crystallizing solvent, solvent for depositing polyurethane coatings on leather and artificial leather fabrics, separation of aliphatic hydrocarbons, recovery of CO2 in flue gases, quencher and cleaner of hot-dip tinned parts, used in high voltage capacitors, industrial paint stripping applications, solvent, reagent, and catalyst in organic chemistry.

Dimethylformamide is primarily used as an industrial solvent. Dimethylformamide solutions are used to process polymer fibers, films, and surface coatings, to permit easy spinning of acrylic fibers, to produce wire enamels, and as a crystallization medium in the pharmaceutical industry.

Industrial uses: pH regulating agent, Fuel agents, Semiconductor and photovoltaic agent, Tanning agents not otherwise specified, Solvent, Intermediate, Catalyst.

Consumer uses: Cleaning agent, Solvent.

Use classes: Solvents.

The reaction mixture exits the reactor through a decompression chamber. In addition to N,N-dimethylformamide, the crude product contains methanol, a certain amount of unreacted N,N-dimethylamine, dissolved carbon monoxide, and residual catalyst. The addition of acid or water deactivates any catalyst present, resulting in the formation of sodium formate. Dissolved carbon monoxide, together with inert gases, escapes from the mixture during decompression, and the off-gases are removed by combustion. Preliminary distillation is followed by a second distillation in a separate column, here, dimethylformamide is separated from methanol which contains traces of N,N-dimethylamine. Further distillation results in a product of 99.9%purity.

The two-step process for the synthesis of N,N-dimethylformamide differs from direct synthesis because methyl formate is prepared separately and introduced in the form of ca. 96% pure (commercial-grade) material.