DMAC

The rate of hydrolysis of DMAC is very low, but increases somewhat in the presence of acids or bases. DMAC is a stable compound, but is mildly hygroscopic and desiccation and/or dry nitrogen blanketing of storage vessels are sometimes used to reduce water pick-up. In the absence of water, acids, or bases, DMAC is stable at temperatures up to its hoiling point at atmospheric pressure. Its greater stability enables more economical recovery by distillation relative to that of other similar solvents. 

The chemical reactions of DMAC are typical of those of disubstituted amides. Under suitable conditions, DMAC will react as follows ... 

The product of this reaction can be removed as an azeotrope (84.1% amide, 15.9% acetic acid) which boils at 170.8—170.9°C. Acid present in the azeotrope can be removed by the addition of soHd caustic soda [1310-73-2] followed by distillation (2). The reaction can also take place in a solution having a DMAC-acetic acid ratio higher than the azeotropic composition, so that an azeotrope does not form. For this purpose, dimethylamine is added in excess of the stoichiometric proportion (3). If a substantial excess of dimethylamine reacts with acetic acid under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, a reduced amount of azeotrope is formed. Optimum temperatures are between 250—325°C, and pressures in excess of 6200 kPa (900 psi) are requited (4). DMAC can also be made by the reaction of acetic anhydride [108-24-7] and dimethylamine ... 

Dimethylamine also reacts with the azeotrope of methyl acetate and methanol to give DMAC in 45% yield (5). 

Dimethylacetamide is available in dmms with a capacity of 0.208 m (55 gal), 186 kg net, and in tank cars or tmcks. Although the DOT classifies DMAC as a combustible Hquid, no DOT label is requited. 

Mild steel is a suitable material of constmction for storage and handling of DMAC at ambient temperatures. Aluminum or stainless steel is recommended for cases involving very stringent color or iron contamination requirements. Mild steel is not recommended for high temperature service or handling aqueous solutions of less than 50 mol % (82.86 wt %) DMAC. 

DMAC is a good solvent for many resins therefore, flange gaskets and pump and valve packing should be limited to Teflon fluorocarbon resins. 

Determination of Water in DMAC. DMAC is hygroscopic and precautions must be taken to minimize exposure to the atmosphere. Trace amounts of water can be deterrnined by the Kad-Fischer method. 

Determination of DMAC in Air. DMAC can be measured in air by passing a known amount of sample through water in a gas-scmbbing vessel and then analyzing the solution either chemically or by gas chromatography. 

DMAC is capable of pioducing systemic injury when repeatedly inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Symptoms of overexposure are nausea, headache. 

In laboratory tests, appHcation of DMAC to the skin of pregnant rats has caused fetal deaths when the dosages were close to the lethal dose level for the mother. Embryonal malformations have been observed at dose levels 20% of the lethal dose and higher. However, when male and female rats were exposed to mean DMAC concentrations of 31,101, and 291 ppm for 6 h per day over several weeks, no reproductive effects were observed (6). 

The U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) has ruled that an employee s exposure to dimethyl acetamide in any 8-h work shift of a 40-h work week shall not exceed a time-weighted average of 10 ppm DMAC vapor in air by volume or 35 mg/m in air by weight (7). If there is significant potential for skin contact with DMAC, biological monitoring should be carried out to measure the level of DMAC metaboHtes in urine specimens collected at the end of the shift. One industrial limit is 40 ppm DMAC metaboHtes, expressed as AJ-methylacetamide [79-16-3] for individuals, and 20 ppm metaboHte average for workers on the job (8). 

The uses of dimethyl acetamide are very similar to those for dimethylform amide [68-12-2] (see FoRMiC ACId). DMAC is employed most often where higher temperatures are needed for solution of resins or activation of chemical reactions. 

Resin and Polymer Solvent. Dimethylacetamide is an exceUent solvent for synthetic and natural resins. It readily dissolves vinyl polymers, acrylates, ceUulose derivatives, styrene polymers, and linear polyesters. Because of its high polarity, DMAC has been found particularly useful as a solvent for polyacrylonitrile, its copolymers, and interpolymers. Copolymers containing at least 85% acrylonitrile dissolve ia DMAC to form solutions suitable for the production of films and yams (9). DMAC is reportedly an exceUent solvent for the copolymers of acrylonitrile and vinyl formate (10), vinylpyridine (11), or aUyl glycidyl ether (12). 

Polyimides for use ia molded products and high temperature films can be produced by the reaction of pyromelHtic dianhydride [89-32-7] and 4,4 -diaminodiphenyl ether [13174-32-8] ia DMAC to form a polyamide that can be converted iato a polyimide (13). DMAC can also be used as a spinning solvent for polyimides. AdditionaUy, polymers containing over 50% vinyHdene chloride are soluble up to 20% at elevated temperatures ia DMAC. Such solutions are useful ia preparing fibers (14). 

DMAC and nonpolar solvents form synergistic mixtures which dissolve high molecular weight vinyl chloride homopolymers. For example, a mixture of DMAC with an equal volume of carbon disulfide [75-15-0] a nonsolvent, dissolves 14 wt % of Geon 101 vinyl chloride homopolymer at room temperature, whereas the solubUity of Geon 101 ia DMAC alone is about 5 wt % (15). 

Crystallization and Purification Solvent. Dimethylacetamide is useful ia the purification by crystallization of aromatic dicarboxyHc acids such as terephthahc acid [100-21-0] and/vcarboxyphenylacetic acid [501-89-3]. These acids are not soluble ia the more common solvents. DMAC and dibasic acids form crystalline complexes containing two moles of the solvent for each mole of acid (16). Microcrystalline hydrocortisone acetate [50-03-3] having low settling rate is prepared by crystallization from an aqueous DMAC solution (17). 

Electrolytic Solvent. The use of DMAC as a nonaqueous electrolytic solvent is promising because salts are modesdy soluble ia DMAC and appear to be completely dissociated ia dilute solutions (18). 

Complexes. In common with other dialkylamides, highly polar DMAC forms numerous crystalline solvates and complexes. The HCN—DMAC complex has been cited as an advantage ia usiag DMAC as a reaction medium for hydrocyanations. The complexes have vapor pressures lower than predicted and permit lower reaction pressures (19). 

Complexes of DMAC and many inorganic haHdes have been reported (20). These complexes are of iaterest because they catalyze a number of organic reactions. Complexes of DMAC and such heavy metal salts as NiBr2 exert a greater catalytic activity than the simple salts (21). The crystalline complex of SO and dimethylacetamide has been suggested for moderating the reaction conditions ia sulfation of leuco vat dyestuffs (22). 

Dimethylformamide [68-12-2] (DME) and dimethyl sulfoxide [67-68-5] (DMSO) are the most commonly used commercial organic solvents, although polymerizations ia y-butyrolactoae, ethyleae carboaate, and dimethyl acetamide [127-19-5] (DMAC) are reported ia the hterature. Examples of suitable inorganic salts are aqueous solutioas of ziac chloride and aqueous sodium thiocyanate solutions. The homogeneous solution polymerization of acrylonitrile foUows the conventional kinetic scheme developed for vinyl monomers (12) (see Polymers). 

Chain transfer is an important consideration in solution polymerizations. Chain transfer to solvent may reduce the rate of polymerization as well as the molecular weight of the polymer. Other chain-transfer reactions may iatroduce dye sites, branching, chromophoric groups, and stmctural defects which reduce thermal stabiUty. Many of the solvents used for acrylonitrile polymerization are very active in chain transfer. DMAC and DME have chain-transfer constants of 4.95-5.1 x lO " and 2.7-2.8 x lO " respectively, very high when compared to a value of only 0.05 x lO " for acrylonitrile itself DMSO (0.1-0.8 X lO " ) and aqueous zinc chloride (0.006 x lO " ), in contrast, have relatively low transfer constants hence, the relative desirabiUty of these two solvents over the former. DME, however, is used by several acryhc fiber producers as a solvent for solution polymerization. 

Worldwide demand for DMF in acryhc fiber production has held up better than in the United States. The high solubiUty of polyacrylonitrile in DMF, coupled with DMF s high water miscibility, makes it an attractive solvent for this appHcation. Its principal competition in this area comes from DMAC. 

Decomposition temperatures are in the range of 360—375°C and inherent viscosities range from 0.62 to 0.90 dL/g in cone H2SO4. The polymers are insoluble in DMAC. 

A polyester backbone with two HFIP groups (12F aromatic polyester of 12F-APE) was derived by the polycondensation of the diacid chloride of 6FDCA with bisphenol AF or bisphenol A under phase-transfer conditions (120). These polymers show complete solubkity in THF, chloroform, ben2ene, DMAC, DMF, and NMP, and form clear, colorless, tough films the inherent viscosity in chloroform at 25°C is 0.8 dL/g. A thermal stabkity of 501°C (10% weight loss in N2) was observed. 

Technora. In 1985, Teijin Ltd. introduced Technora fiber, previously known as HM-50, into the high performance fiber market. Technora is based on the 1 1 copolyterephthalamide of 3,4 -diaminodiphenyl ether and/ -phenylenediamine (8). Technora is a whoUy aromatic copolyamide of PPT, modified with a crankshaft-shaped comonomer, which results in the formation of isotropic solutions that then become anisotropic during the shear alignment during spinning. The polymer is synthesized by the low temperature polymerization of/ -phenylenediamine, 3,4 -diaminophenyl ether, and terephthaloyl chloride in an amide solvent containing a small amount of an alkaU salt. Calcium chloride or lithium chloride is used as the alkaU salt. The solvents used are hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA), A/-methyl-2-pyrrohdinone (NMP), and dimethyl acetamide (DMAc). The stmcture of Technora is as follows ... 

The aramids are formed in the low temperature reaction, -10 to 60°C, of equimolar amounts of the diacid chloride and the diamine in an amide solvent, typically dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) or A/-meth5i-2-pyrrohdinone (NMP) and usually with a small amount of an alkaU or alkaline-earth hydroxide and a metal salt, such as LiOH [1310-65-2] LiCl, Ca(OH)2 [1305-62-0] or CaCl2 added to increase the solubiUty of the polymer and neutralize the hydrochloric acid generated in the reaction. 

The two-step poly(amic acid) process is the most commonly practiced procedure. In this process, a dianhydride and a diamine react at ambient temperature in a dipolar aprotic solvent such as /V,/V-dimethy1 acetamide [127-19-5] (DMAc) or /V-methy1pyrro1idinone [872-50-4] (NMP) to form apoly(amic acid), which is then cycHzed into the polyimide product. The reaction of pyromeUitic dianhydride [26265-89-4] (PMDA) and 4,4 -oxydiani1ine [101-80-4] (ODA) proceeds rapidly at room temperature to form a viscous solution of poly(amic acid) (5), which is an ortho-carboxylated aromatic polyamide. 

Effect of Solvents. The most commonly used solvents in poly(amic acid) preparation are dipolar amide solvents such as DMAc and NMP. 

Nucleophilic Substitution Route. Commercial synthesis of poly(arylethersulfone)s is accompHshed almost exclusively via the nucleophilic substitution polycondensation route. This synthesis route, discovered at Union Carbide in the early 1960s (3,4), involves reaction of the bisphenol of choice with 4,4 -dichlorodiphenylsulfone in a dipolar aprotic solvent in the presence of an alkaUbase. Examples of dipolar aprotic solvents include A/-methyl-2-pyrrohdinone (NMP), dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), sulfolane, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Examples of suitable bases are sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and potassium carbonate. In the case of polysulfone (PSE) synthesis, the reaction is a two-step process in which the dialkah metal salt of bisphenol A (1) is first formed in situ from bisphenol A [80-05-7] by reaction with the base (eg, two molar equivalents of NaOH),... 

SolubiHty of the three commercial polysulfones foUows the order PSF > PES > PPSF. At room temperature, all three of these polysulfones as weU as the vast majority of other aromatic sulfone-based polymers can be readily dissolved in a few highly polar solvents to form stable solutions. These solvents include NMP, DMAc, pyridine, and aniline. 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane are also suitable solvents but are less desirable because of their potentially harmful health effects. PSF is also readily soluble in a host of less polar solvents by virtue of its lower solubiHty parameter. 

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