Methyl diethanolamine

Methyl diethanolamine
IUPAC name Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)methylamine
Other names 2,2′-(Methylimino)bis-ethanol Diethanolmethylamine Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)methylamine
Identifiers
CAS number	105-59-9 Y
PubChem	7767
RTECS number	KL7525000
Properties
Molecular formula	CH3N(C2H4OH)2
Molar mass	119.163 g/mol
Appearance	Clear, colorless, 150 APHA max.
Density	1.043 g/cm3
Melting point	-21°C
Boiling point	247°C
Solubility in water	complete
Solubility	Benzene, alcohol
Refractive index (nD)	1.4694
Viscosity	101 cP @ 20°C
Pharmacology
Routes of administration	Ingestion
Hazards
NFPA 704	1 1 0
Flash point	135°C pmcc
Autoignition temperature	265°C
Explosive limits	0.9-8.4 vol% in air
Y diethanolamine (verify) (what is: Y/N?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Methyl diethanolamine is a clear, colorless or pale yellow liquid with an ammonia odour. It is miscible with water, alcohol and benzene. Methyl diethanolamine is also known as N-Methyl diethanolamine and more commonly as MDEA. It has the formula CH₃N (C₂H₄OH)₂. MDEA is a tertiary amine and is widely used as a sweetening agent in chemical, oil refinery, syngas production and natural gas. This compound should not be confused with the similarly named commercial drug MDEA.

MDEA's popularity as a solvent for gas treating stems from several advantages it has over other alkanolamines, especially its ability to preferentially remove H₂S (and slip CO₂) from sour gas streams.

Similar compounds are monoethanolamine (MEA), a primary amine, and diethanolamine (DEA), a secondary amine, both of which are also used for amine gas treating.

See also

• Amine gas treating

References

• The GPSA Databook