The industrial uses of methyl formate include the manufacture of other formic acid derivatives, as a blowing agent for foams, and as an agricultural fumigant. It was formerly used as a refrigerant as an alternative to sulfur dioxide even though it also poses a toxicity hazard.
Chemical/Physical. Hydrolyzes slowly in water forming methanol and formic acid (NIOSH, 1997). Hydrolysis half-lives reported at 25 °C: 0.91 h at pH 9, 9.1 h at pH 8, 2.19 d at pH 7, and 21.9 d at pH 6 (Mabey and Mill, 1978).
industrial uses of methyl formate include the manufacture of other formic acid derivatives, as a blowing agent for foams, and as an agricultural fumigant. It was formerly used as a refrigerant as an alternative to sulfur dioxide even though it also poses a toxicity hazard.
