Methylene Chloride

Also known as methylene chloride, dichloromethane (DCM) is a transparent, colorless, volatile halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon compound with an ether-like mildly sweet smell. It is moderately soluble in water as well as in most organic solvents namely; ether, ethanol, ketones, aldehydes, and phenols (1). Notably, DCM vapors are heavier than air and are normally non-explosive, stable, and non-flammable when exposed in the air; however, temperatures above 100oC must be avoided. Although natural

1. Dichloromethane is a non-flammable low-boiling solvent, commonly used to replace flammable petroleum ether, and can be used as a refrigerant and fire extinguishing agent;
2. The product is used as a solvent in the resin and plastic industries. Widely used in medicine, plastics and film industries.
House Hold Uses
The compound is used in bathtub refurbishing. Dichloromethane is highly used industrially in the production of pharmaceuticals, strippers, and process solvents.
Industrial and Manufacturing Uses
DCM is a solvent that is found in varnish and paint strippers, which are often used to remove varnish or paint coatings from various surfaces. As a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry, DCM is used for the preparation of cephalosporin and ampicillin.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing 
It is also used in manufacturing beverage and food manufacturing as an extraction solvent. For instance, DCM can be used to decaffeinate unroasted coffee beans as well as tea leaves. The compound is also used in creating hops extract for beer, beverages and other flavoring for foods, as well as in processing spices. 
Transportation Industry 
DCM is normally used in the degreasing of metal parts and surfaces, such as railroad equipment and tracks as well as airplane components. It can also be used in degreasing and lubricating products utilized in automotive products, for instance, removal of the gasket and for preparing metal parts for a new gasket. 
Experts in automotive commonly use vapor dichloromethane degreasing process to for the removal of grease and oils from car parts of car transistor, spacecraft assemblies, aircraft components, and diesel motors. Today, specialists are able to safely and quickly clean transportation systems using degreasing techniques that depend on methylene chloride. 
Medical Industry
Dichloromethane is used in laboratories in the extraction of chemicals from foods or plants for medicines such as antibiotics, steroids, and vitamins. In addition, medical equipment can be efficiently and quickly cleaned using dichloromethane cleaners while avoiding damage to heat-sensitive parts and corrosion problems. 
Photographic Films
Methylene chloride is used as a solvent in the production of cellulose triacetate (CTA), which is applied in the creation of safety films in photography. When dissolved in DCM, CTA begins to evaporate as the fibre of acetate remains behind. 
Electronic Industry
Methylene chloride is used in the production of printed circuit boards in the electronic industry. DCM is utilized to degrease the foil surface of the substrate before the photoresist layer is added to the board.  Methylene chloride is widely used as asolvent, as a degreasing and cleaning reagent,in paint removers, and in extractions oforganic compounds from water for analyses. Methylene chloride is used in refrigeration, aerosol propellants, paint stripping, urethane foam-blowing agents, adhesive, and food extractants. Methylene chloride is used principally as a solvent in paintremovers. It is also used as an aerosol propellant, processingsolvent in the manufacture of steroids, antibiotics, vitamins,and tablet coatings; as a degreasing agent; in electronicsmanufacturing; and as a urethane foamblowing agent.Methylenechloride is also used in metal cleaning, as a solvent in theproduction of polycarbonate resins and triacetate fibers, in filmprocessing, ininkformulations, and as anextraction solvent forspice oleoresins, caffeine, and hops. It was once registered foruse in the United States as an insecticide for commodityfumigation of strawberries, citrus fruits, and a variety of grains.
Methylene chloride has been used as a blowing agent forfoams and as a solvent for many applications, includingcoating photographic films, pharmaceuticals, aerosol formulations,and to a large extent in paint stripping formulations. Itis used as a solvent in a number of extraction processes,where its high volatility is desirable. It has high solvent powerfor cellulose esters, fats, oils, resins, and rubber, and is morewater soluble than most other chlorinated solvents. Formulationsfor paint stripping may contain other solvents as well asmethylene chloride and are frequently found outside theworkplace. These formulations often contain other ingredientsthat retard evaporation and in the process increase thelikelihood of skin irritation.
Dichloromethane was used as an anesthetic gas but is nolonger used because of the narrow therapeutic index.