N-methylaniline appears as a colorless to brown viscous liquid. Insoluble in water and denser than water. Contact may irritate skin, eyes and mucous membranes.It is used to make other chemicals.

Uses

N-Methylaniline is used as a latent and coupling solvent and is also used as an intermediate for dyes, agrochemicals and other organic products manufacturing. NMA is toxic and exposure can cause damage to the central nervous system and can also cause liver and kidney failure.

N-Methylaniline is a principal component of NMA (monomethylaniline), a non-traditional antiknock agent increasingly used by petroleum refiners and fuel distributors around the world to increase the octane number of gasoline petrol. It is usually added to gasoline in concentration of around 1.3% volume to avoid high gum levels that can cause increased carbon deposits in engine parts[citation needed]. Higher concentrations are permitted by most regulatory agencies if a detergent and a fuel combustion modifier are added to the component to keep gum formation from happening. NMA blended in those concentrations to gasoline / petrol is not more toxic than the hundreds of chemicals that compose this fuel.

Health Hazard    

Recommended Personal Protective Equipment: Approved respirator; rubber gloves; splash proof goggles; Symptoms Following Exposure: Inhalation causes dizziness and headache.

Ingestion causes bluish discoloration (cyanosis) of lips, ear lobes, and fingernail beds. Liquid irritates eyes. Absorption through skin produces same symptoms as for ingestion; General Treatment for Exposure: INHALATION: remove victim to fresh air and call a physician at once; administer oxygen until physician arrives. INGESTION: give large amount of water; get medical attention at once. EYES or SKIN: flush with plenty of water for at least 15 min.; if cyanosis is present, shower with soap and warm water, with special attention to scalp and finger nails; remove any contaminated clothing; Toxicity by Inhalation (Threshold Limit Value): Data not available; Short-Term Inhalation Limits: Data not available; Toxicity by Ingestion: Data not available; Late Toxicity: Data not available; Vapor (Gas) Irritant Characteristics: Data not available; Liquid or Solid Irritant Characteristics: Data not available; Odor Threshold: Data not available.