Editing Chloromethane (section)

==Uses==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2023}}
Large scale use of chloromethane is for the production of [[dimethyldichlorosilane]] and related [[organosilicon compound]]s.<ref name=Ross/> These compounds arise via the [[direct process]]. The relevant reactions are (Me = CH<sub>3</sub>):
:x MeCl + Si → Me<sub>3</sub>SiCl, Me<sub>2</sub>SiCl<sub>2</sub>, MeSiCl<sub>3</sub>, Me<sub>4</sub>Si<sub>2</sub>Cl<sub>2</sub>, ...
[[Dimethyldichlorosilane]] (Me<sub>2</sub>SiCl<sub>2</sub>) is of particular value as a precursor to [[silicone]]s, but [[trimethylsilyl chloride]] (Me<sub>3</sub>SiCl) and [[methyltrichlorosilane]] (MeSiCl<sub>3</sub>) are also valuable.
Smaller quantities are used as a solvent in the manufacture of [[butyl rubber]] and in [[petroleum refining]].

Chloromethane is employed as a [[Methylation|methylating]] and chlorinating agent, e.g. the production of [[methylcellulose]]. It is also used in a variety of other fields: as an extractant for [[petroleum|grease]]s, [[oil]]s, and [[resin]]s, as a [[propellant]] and [[blowing agent]] in [[polystyrene]] foam production, as a [[local anesthetic]], as an intermediate in drug manufacturing, as a [[catalyst]] carrier in low-temperature [[polymerization]], as a fluid for thermometric and thermostatic equipment, and as a [[herbicide]].

===Obsolete applications===
Chloromethane was widely used as a [[refrigerant]] during the 1920s and 1930s, before being replaced by safer alternatives such as [[hydrofluorocarbon]]s. In the late 1920s, some manufacturers promoted methyl chloride as a safer and less odorous option compared to [[sulfur dioxide]] and [[ammonia]].<ref name="Hand 2023">{{cite web |last=Hand |first=Greg |title=Refrigeration Was A Wonderful Invention When It Wasn't Trying To Kill You |website=Cincinnati Magazine |date=4 April 2023 |url=https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/article/refrigeration-was-a-wonderful-invention-when-it-wasnt-trying-to-kill-you/ |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref><ref name="NBK600826">{{cite web |title=Toxicological Profile for Chloromethane |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK600826/ |publisher=Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry |access-date=15 May 2025 |date=September 2023}}</ref><ref name="Consumer Reports 1936">https://archive.org/details/sim_consumer-reports_1936-07_1_3/page/5/mode/1up [[Consumer Reports|Consumers Union Reports]], Vol. 1, No. 3, July 1936, p. 5.</ref>  However, a series of fatal leaks in 1928 and 1929 raised serious concerns  related to its toxicity and flammability. Although chloromethane has a faint sweet odor, its subtle scent made leaks difficult to detect. To address this issue, [[acrolein]] was later added as a nasal-irritating tracer, enhancing leak detection and serving as a warning mechanism.<ref name="Hand 2023"/><ref name="NBK600826"/>

Chloromethane was also once used for producing the lead-based gasoline additive [[tetramethyllead]].{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}