Sciencemadness Discussion Board
Not logged in [Login ]
Go To Bottom

Printable Version  
Author: Subject: N,N-dimethlyformamide
beastmaster
Harmless
*




Posts: 38
Registered: 28-5-2008
Location: USA
Member Is Offline

Mood: hyper

[*] posted on 31-8-2008 at 08:52
N,N-dimethlyformamide


I need less then 500ml of dmf. The place I get lots of my chems from only sell it in 4-1 liter lots. This isn't a problem except I worry about attracting unwanted attention buying,what to me is a large amount. Is dmf a watched chemical? Is 4 liters a large amount to those who watch these things. This is a life time supply for me. If its going to get me unwanted attention, I'll find somewhere else to get a smaller amount I never worry to much about buying stuff because I generally buy all my stuff in really small amounts. Thank you for any help. I am in the USA so my question deals with buying it here. Beast
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Arrhenius
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 282
Registered: 17-8-2008
Location: US & A
Member Is Offline

Mood: Stochastic

[*] posted on 31-8-2008 at 10:04


I don't think this will cause any suspicion. 4L is only 1 gallon, and it's not entirely useful as a reagent so much as an inert solvent.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Panache
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1290
Registered: 18-10-2007
Member Is Offline

Mood: Instead of being my deliverance, she had a resemblance to a Kat named Frankenstein

[*] posted on 1-9-2008 at 02:53


i agree with the above that DMF is fairly innocuous (from a 'do they want you to have it perspective, not a toxicology standpoint), however if you are concerned with attention a commonly available alternative is n-methyl 2-pyrrolidine. Commonly sold either neat or compounded as a high-end expensive graffitti remover. It has essentially similar features to DMF, being an amide based non-polar aprotic solvent, but smells better in my opinion. it's a little more 'modern' than DMF and as such appears in the literature less frequently.
Ironically (because i'm explaining its use as otherwise, actually that's not really ironic) i use it as a graffiti remover and for this function it works sublimely, however for the AUS$27.50/500mL it should!!!

i just downloaded the msds from the graffiti remover and it seems there's an ester also in there, ethanol 3-ethoxy propionate, that's likely the pleasant smell!!

[Edited on 1-9-2008 by Panache]




View user's profile View All Posts By User
vulture
Forum Gatekeeper
*****




Posts: 3330
Registered: 25-5-2002
Location: France
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 1-9-2008 at 13:08


DMF is quite toxic and might cause transport issues.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Nerro
National Hazard
****




Posts: 596
Registered: 29-9-2004
Location: Netherlands
Member Is Offline

Mood: Whatever...

[*] posted on 2-9-2008 at 04:13


The toxicity isn't so bad. According to the msds I can drink 265 mL of it to be half dead.

This highlights an important problem in labs. Every bottle has a toxicity warning on it while in most cases the toxicity is of little concern. I blame America and their stupid claim-culture.

[Edited on 2-9-2008 by Nerro]




#261501 +(11351)- [X]

the \"bishop\" came to our church today
he was a fucken impostor
never once moved diagonally

courtesy of bash
View user's profile View All Posts By User
tapira1
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 168
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Here!!!
Member Is Offline

Mood: :)

[*] posted on 6-9-2008 at 17:52
DMF toxicity


DMF is highly hepatotoxic; this means will damage your liver on exposure. Thgere should be some kind of "decimal point error". With 265 mL you, all your family and 4-5 of your best friends could be "more than half dead".
View user's profile View All Posts By User
ScienceSquirrel
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1863
Registered: 18-6-2008
Location: Brittany
Member Is Offline

Mood: Dogs are pets but cats are little furry humans with four feet and self determination! :(

[*] posted on 6-9-2008 at 18:08


On that basis I should be dead a thousand times over!

DMF is safer than a lot of common laboratory reagents. I would prefer handle DMF than dimethyl sulphate any day.

Just handle it in a hood with gloves, do not inhale the vapour and try not to drink the stuff :D
View user's profile View All Posts By User
tapira1
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 168
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Here!!!
Member Is Offline

Mood: :)

[*] posted on 6-9-2008 at 18:25
DMF toxicity


If you handle DMF properly (gloves, hood, and don't even think to drink it...), you will not get exposed at once to the 25 mL that may kill you. Of course, with less than 25 ml of Me2SO4 (by mouth) you will also be dead; through another way, you just may pick a cancer (this is an alkylating agent)
View user's profile View All Posts By User
ScienceSquirrel
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1863
Registered: 18-6-2008
Location: Brittany
Member Is Offline

Mood: Dogs are pets but cats are little furry humans with four feet and self determination! :(

[*] posted on 6-9-2008 at 21:01


Me2SO4 toxic?

Never, it is chicken soup for the soul of the organic chemist :D
View user's profile View All Posts By User
tapira1
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 168
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Here!!!
Member Is Offline

Mood: :)

[*] posted on 7-9-2008 at 04:58
Me2SO4


Dimethyl sulfate is an alkylating agent. This means that (among other things) it may transform an >NH into an >NMe group. If this happens t the DNA level and your metabolic/immunologic machine does not stop immediately the modified nucleic acid, the modified DNA may induce copy errors that, if do not kill the cells (most of the time they do and then you do not notice the problem) this cell line may propagate and sometimes be harmful; in those cases you are in presence of a cancer. Of course, if you handle properly the chemical, you are actually not exposed to it (or you severely cut exposure); therefore, it looks as harmless.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Sauron
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 5351
Registered: 22-12-2006
Location: Barad-Dur, Mordor
Member Is Offline

Mood: metastable

[*] posted on 7-9-2008 at 08:25


Yes, we know all about the hazards of DMS. ScienceSquirrel was being sarcastic.

As for DMF see formic acid and closely related methanol.




Sic gorgeamus a los subjectatus nunc.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Nerro
National Hazard
****




Posts: 596
Registered: 29-9-2004
Location: Netherlands
Member Is Offline

Mood: Whatever...

[*] posted on 9-9-2008 at 09:05


LD50/LC50:
CAS# 68-12-2:
Inhalation, mouse: LC50 = 9400 mg/m3/2H;
Inhalation, rat: LC50 = 3421 ppm/1H;
Inhalation, rat: LC50 = 3421 ppm/3H;
Inhalation, rat: LC50 = 1948 ppm/4H;
Oral, mouse: LD50 = 2900 mg/kg;
Oral, rabbit: LD50 = 5 gm/kg;
Oral, rat: LD50 = 2800 mg/kg;
Skin, rabbit: LD50 = 4720 mg/kg;
Skin, rat: LD50 = >3.2 gm/kg;

As listed in the msds that fisher has on it's website. All these amounts are in the grams/kg body weight. I wouldn't call that particularly toxic.




#261501 +(11351)- [X]

the \"bishop\" came to our church today
he was a fucken impostor
never once moved diagonally

courtesy of bash
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Sauron
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 5351
Registered: 22-12-2006
Location: Barad-Dur, Mordor
Member Is Offline

Mood: metastable

[*] posted on 9-9-2008 at 19:54


So don't go swimming in DMF. Important safety tip for the day.



Sic gorgeamus a los subjectatus nunc.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
chemrox
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 2961
Registered: 18-1-2007
Location: UTM
Member Is Offline

Mood: LaGrangian

[*] posted on 9-9-2008 at 22:34


"So don't go swimming in DMF. Important safety tip for the day. " Nice one, S. Hey aren't we all using gloves, coats and exhaust fans?



"When you let the dumbasses vote you end up with populism followed by autocracy and getting back is a bitch." Plato (sort of)
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Panache
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1290
Registered: 18-10-2007
Member Is Offline

Mood: Instead of being my deliverance, she had a resemblance to a Kat named Frankenstein

[*] posted on 10-9-2008 at 18:24


Quote:
Originally posted by vulture
DMF is quite toxic and might cause transport issues.


EMF a terribly toxic band from the UK in the early nineties, their hits included 'unbelievable', and 'i believe' and some other memorable dance ditty.
It is recommended to take very small doses of EMF otherwise you might vomit.
(Just because the silliness is in this thread, it a fusilli thread!)




View user's profile View All Posts By User
smuv
National Hazard
****




Posts: 842
Registered: 2-5-2007
Member Is Offline

Mood: Jingoistic

[*] posted on 10-9-2008 at 19:04


@Nerro chronic and acute toxicities are two different things...

Looking at only the acute toxicity you only see half of the picture.

(I am not talking particularly about DMF but just in general; I am not well versed in regard to DMF's hazards)




"Titanium tetrachloride…You sly temptress." --Walter Bishop
View user's profile View All Posts By User

  Go To Top