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Carbamates
The methyl chloroformates are used to create carbamates. Manufacturers create carbamates to produce drugs, dyes, herbicides, insecticides and veterinary medicines. This clear chemical has an unpleasant smell, is heavier than water and boils at 159 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the chemical company BASF.
Chemical Weapons
Methyl chloroformate was once used as a military poison in WWI, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. It is highly corrosive to the eyes and skin. Ingestion can lead to burns in the gastrointestinal tract. As a gas, it is fatal when inhaled, causing coughing, wheezing, headaches, vomiting and eventually pulmonary edema, which causes fluids to build up in the lungs. Chemicals have been banned from warfare internationally since WWI.
Organic Synthesis
Methyl chloroformate is used in organic synthesis, which is the creation of organic compounds through chemical reactions. This substance introduces methyl ester to a nucleophile, which is a material that offers an electron-pair to create a chemical bond, forming a new compound. Molecules bind together to form compounds by sharing electrons.
Drugs
In the pharmaceutical field, carbamates are used as anticonvulsants and muscle relaxants. Anticonvulstants are pharmaceuticals used for the treatment of epileptic seizures, which can protect against the excitotoxic effects that lead to brain damage. Psychiatrists sometimes prescribe them as mood stabilizers for those suffering from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder where the sufferer often shifts between two opposite poles -- depression and mania -- according to the University of Maryland.
Herbicides
Herbicides created using methyl chloroformate include asulam, carboxazole, dichlormate, chlorprocarb, fenasulam, terbucarb and karbutilate. Carbamates inhibit mitosis by disrupting the microtubules or microtubule organizing centers necessary to initiate the process. Mitosis is the process of cell division that occurs in living organisms, including plants. Carbamates effectively prevent plants from growing by inhibiting cell division, according to the University of Arizona.
Insecticides
Carbamate insecticides are used commonly in homes and for agriculture. They take weeks or sometimes months to break down. They affect the nervous system of insects, killing cockroaches, fleas, ants, crickets, lace bugs and aphids. Many of these pests can develop resistance if people use the insecticides too often. These insecticides can also build up and negatively affect human health. Sufferers can experience headaches, weakness, dizziness, loss of appetite, shaking, diarrhea, sweating and skin rash, according to Delaware Health and Social Services.