What is the Difference Between Methyl Chloride and Methylene Chloride

The key difference between methyl chloride and methylene chloride is that methyl chloride occurs as a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature, whereas methylene chloride occurs as a colorless, volatile liquid at room temperature.

Methyl chloride and methylene chloride are industrially important organic compounds. Methyl chloride or chloromethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3Cl, while methylene chloride or dichloromethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH2Cl2.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Methyl Chloride (Chloromethane)
3. What is Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane)
4. Methyl Chloride vs Methylene Chloride in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Methyl Chloride vs Methylene Chloride 

What is Methyl Chloride (or Chloromethane)?

Methyl chloride or chloromethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3Cl. It is also known as refrigerant 40, R-40, or HCC 40. It is a haloalkane that is colorless, odorless, flammable, and occurs in a gas state at room temperature. This compound is a crucial substance in industrial chemistry, but it rarely occurs in consumer products. Methyl chloride was first produced by a French chemist in 1835 by boiling a mixture of methanol, sulfuric acid, and sodium chloride. Today, it is produced commercially by treating methanol along with hydrochloric acid or hydrogen chloride.

This substance is an abundant organohalogen compound that is either natural or anthropogenic in the atmosphere. The gas has a faint, sweet odor. Some marine microorganisms can produce methyl chloride. Further, salt mash plants can produce this substance as well.

Methyl chloride compound has tetragonal geometry. Its molecular shape is a tetrahedron. Moreover, it is considered a carcinogenic compound.

What is Methylene Chloride (or Dichloromethane)?

Methylene chloride or dichloromethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH2Cl2. It is an organochlorine compound, and we can denote it as DCM. This compound occurs as a volatile, colorless liquid consisting of a chloroform-like sweet odor. Dichloromethane is mainly useful as a solvent. This liquid is not miscible with water though it is a polar compound. However, it can mix with many other organic solvents.

There are some natural sources of dichloromethane, including oceanic sources, macroalgae, wetlands, and volcanoes. However, we can observe that most dichloromethane in the environment is due to industrial emissions. We can produce dichloromethane through the treatment of chloromethane or methane with chlorine gas at high temperatures.

What is the Difference Between Methyl Chloride and Methylene Chloride?

Methyl chloride and methylene chloride are industrially important organic compounds. Methyl chloride or chloromethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3Cl. Methylene chloride or dichloromethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH2Cl2. The key difference between methyl chloride and methylene chloride is that methyl chloride occurs as a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature, whereas methylene chloride occurs as a colorless, volatile liquid at room temperature.

The below infographic presents the differences between methyl chloride and methylene chloride in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Methyl Chloride vs Methylene Chloride

Methyl chloride and methylene chloride are industrially important organic compounds. The key difference between methyl chloride and methylene chloride is that methyl chloride occurs as a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature, whereas methylene chloride occurs as a colorless, volatile liquid at room temperature. Methyl chloride is important as a local anesthetic, a chemical intermediate in the production of silicone polymer, in drug manufacturing etc., whereas methylene chloride is important in paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing, paint remover production, metal cleaning, and degreasing.

Reference:

1. “Methylene Chloride – Overview” Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor Logo United States.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Natta projection of chloromethane” By Chem Sim 2001 – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sample of dichloromethane” By LHcheM – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia