Industrial Applications
Metal Cleaning and Degreasing: Dichloromethane effectively removes grease and dirt from metal surfaces, making it suitable for cleaning precision instruments, as a metal degreaser, and for cleaning refrigeration systems. Its low flammability makes it safer than gasoline, and it is widely used in machinery manufacturing and the electronics industry.
Coatings and Plastics Processing: As a solvent, dichloromethane dissolves resins and pigments, improving coating uniformity. In the plastics industry, it is used as a polyurethane foaming agent, paint remover, and cellulose acetate film-forming agent. It is also used in the production of safety films and polycarbonate processing.
Electronics Industry Cleaning: Used for cleaning circuit boards and semiconductor chips, it quickly removes oil and dust without corroding electronic components, replacing flammable traditional solvents such as petroleum ether.
Pharmaceutical Applications
Drug Synthesis and Extraction: As a reaction medium, it is used in the production of antibiotics such as ampicillin and cephalosporins. In the extraction of natural drugs, such as extracting saponins from Panax notoginseng roots or decaffeine from coffee beans, it ensures product quality and safety.
Drug Purification and Formulation: Used for recrystallization purification of antibiotics (such as gentamicin sulfate), improving crystal purity and particle size; as a solvent in liposome drug carrier preparation to enhance drug encapsulation efficiency; also used for dissolving transdermal patch matrices and formulating inhaled anesthetics.
Medical Device Processing: Used for cleaning the inner walls of medical catheters to remove silicone oil residue; removes protein impurities in gene therapy vector purification.
Other Applications
Food Industry: Used as an extractant in caffeine decanting processes to preserve coffee flavor; also used in spice oleoresin extraction, requiring strict control of residue levels.
Laboratory and Research: Used as a common organic solvent in chemical reactions, extraction separation, and recrystallization experiments due to its volatility and chemical stability.
Environmental Protection and Refrigeration: Formerly used as a refrigerant, but gradually replaced due to the risk of phosgene formation; used in some environmental technologies for waste gas treatment, decomposing it into harmless substances through catalytic oxidation.
Agriculture and Daily Chemicals: Used as a fumigant for pest control; used in the leather industry for degreasing and dewaxing pretreatment; also used in the production of adhesives, cosmetics, and air fresheners.