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F A Q
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2. I remember DMSO smelled strongly, is it still true?
3. The DMSO gets a freezing point of around 18°C, what can you propose to make its use easier?
4. What are the main applications of DMSO?
5. Can I solubilize all type of polymers in DMSO?
6. Can DMSO be recycled?
7. How to treat effluents containing DMSO?
8. What is the solubility of organics compounds in DMSO?
9. Does Arkema get solutions to decrease the freezing point?
10. How long can I store DMSO?
11. What can I do if DMSO is not the good solvent for my application?
1. I heard for years that DMSO is toxic, is it true?
® This is completely wrong. DMSO is a safe and not classified solvent according to the European directive 67/548/EEC. Following a meeting held from April 16 to 18 2008 ( SIAM**26), the OECD experts concluded that DMSO does not represent a significant hazard for human health or the environment, and therefore does not require further toxicological or ecotoxicological studies. Other polar aprotic industrial solvents, such as N-methylpyrrolidone for instance, are dangerous (by 1st June 2009, European Members States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive indicating that N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is classified T with the phrases R61 and R36/37/38).
2. I remember DMSO smelled strongly, is it still true?
® You are right that DMSO used in the past was smelling bad due to impurities present in it. This is the reason why Arkema has made significant improvements on purification in the last years and is now able to propose a DMSO with a low odour. Most of our customers have recognized that odour of our DMSO is now not a problem any longer. This is of course not the case of all DMSO on the market place.
3. The DMSO gets a freezing point of around 18°C, what can you propose to make its use easier?
® DMSO should be stored in a warehouse where temperature is over 20°C in order to keep it liquid. If this kind of storage is not possible, the different kind of packaging (Drums, ISO containers) could be heated at moderate temperature to assure a good defrosting without altering the DMSO properties. More details on temperature and heating time necessary could be provided upon request.
4. What are the main applications of DMSO?
® Our DMSO is a reference solvent in many applications such as pharmaceuticals thanks to its high purity and low toxicity, electronics with its low metals content, paint stripping, crop science formulation and synthesis solvent (EPA class 4b), polymer synthesis and formulations, cleaning and solvent extraction.
5. Can I solubilize all type of polymers in DMSO?
® As other solvents, DMSO can not solubilized all type of polymers. As this is the case for N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF) or dimethylacetamide (DMAc), DMSO gets aprotic and polar characteristics. This gives DMSO the ability to dissolve a wide range of polymers but in a safer way that toxic solvents.
6. Can DMSO be recycled?
® Yes, DMSO can be recycled by distillation. A specific study has to be done for each particular application.
7. How to treat effluents containing DMSO?
® Different techniques could be used to treat the effluents containing DMSO depending on the composition of the effluent to treat: reverse osmosis, biological processes, oxidation processes. With effluent containing a significant amount of DMSO, recycling is considered as the best solution. Please contact our experts to answer your specific request.
8. What is the solubility of organics compounds in DMSO?
® DMSO is miscible with most common organic solvents such as alcohols, ethers, chlorinated solvents and aromatics. With a very high water solubility and active solvency, DMSO offers a high viscosity reduction. For more details on specific organic compounds, please contact our experts.
9. Does Arkema get solutions to decrease the freezing point?
® Yes. Arkema is currently working on various ways to improve the main drawback of DMSO. Please contact us for more information.
10. How long can I store DMSO?
® DMSO shelf life is 2 years under normal storage conditions.
11. What can I do if DMSO is not the good solvent for my application?
® As Arkema is not only manufacturing DMSO, we can propose other type of solvents from the company to solve your problem.
