2025 Spring Meeting and 21st Global Congress on Process Safety
(41al) Thermal Decomposition of Dimethylacetamide (DMAc)
Author
Elsa Koninckx - Presenter, Northwestern University
N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAc) is routinely used in industry to produce fibers, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals, and is often taken to high temperatures (>160 °C, >330 °F). While there have been mentions of thermal decomposition and toxic gas generation, the thermal decomposition of DMAc has not been investigated in detail. We use experimental and modeling techniques to identify the temperature DMAc begins to deviate from theoretical vapor pressure, quantify the decomposition products, and predict a gas generation rate. We bring awareness to the pressure and chemical hazards of DMAc at high temperature to prevent incidents and increase safety surrounding this commonly used chemical.