Methyl isocyanate

Methyl isocyanate (CH₃NCO) is a volatile, highly reactive chemical used to make pesticides and other compounds. Inhalation can cause severe acute poisoning.

Isocyanate: An organic functional group containing the nitrogen–carbon–oxygen sequence N=C=O. Methyl isocyanate is the simplest methyl-substituted member of this reactive compound family.
Carbaryl: A carbamate insecticide used to control insect pests in agriculture and other settings. Methyl isocyanate is an intermediate in one route to manufacturing carbaryl.
Bhopal disaster: A catastrophic 1984 toxic-gas release from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, that killed thousands and injured many more. The release involved methyl isocyanate stored at the Union Carbide pesticide plant.
Acute toxicity: The harmful effects caused by a substance after a brief exposure or short-term dose. Methyl isocyanate is especially dangerous because a short inhalation exposure can cause severe injury.
Chemical formula: A notation showing the kinds and numbers of atoms in a chemical substance. CH₃NCO gives the elemental composition of methyl isocyanate.
Hydrolysis: A chemical reaction in which a bond is broken by reaction with water. Water can react with methyl isocyanate, affecting its fate in spills and biological tissues.
Pesticide: A substance used to prevent, destroy, repel, or control pests. Pesticide production is a major industrial use of methyl isocyanate.
Union Carbide India Limited: An Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation that operated the Bhopal pesticide plant. Its plant was the site where methyl isocyanate escaped in December 1984.
Inhalation toxicity: The harmful effects of a substance entering the body through breathing. Inhalation is the principal route of harm in a methyl isocyanate gas release.
Molecular geometry: The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule. The structure of CH₃NCO helps explain its bonding and chemical behavior.

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MethylamineRelated: Industrial production of methylamine can involve hydrolysis of this reactive precursor.