Tetramethylammonium chloride is a classic quaternary ammonium salt with versatile industrial functions. It is widely used as phase transfer catalyst in organic synthesis, effectively accelerating substitution, condensation and coupling reactions under mild conditions and improving reaction yield. In electronic industry, it serves as etching agent additive and cleaning auxiliary for semiconductor and circuit board production. It acts as ion exchange reagent and polar electrolyte in chemical analysis and battery manufacturing. In petroleum industry, it is applied as clay stabilizer and drilling auxiliary agent to improve oilfield exploitation efficiency. It can also be used as raw material for synthesizing other tetramethylammonium salts, biochemical research reagents and polymerization inhibitor auxiliary. In addition, it is used in textile printing and dyeing, water treatment and daily chemical formulation fields. Its good water solubility and stable ionic property make it widely adopted in fine chemical synthesis, electronic manufacturing and laboratory research.

Tetramethylammonium chloride is an irritant compound with certain biological toxicity. Inhalation of dust will irritate respiratory tract, cause sore throat, cough and chest discomfort, so operators must wear dust mask and keep working environment well ventilated. Skin contact easily causes redness, itching and local inflammation, long-term contact may trigger skin allergy, wear chemical resistant gloves and rinse skin with clean water in time after contact. Eye contact leads to severe stinging and conjunctival swelling, flush eyes continuously with plenty of flowing water for more than fifteen minutes once exposure occurs. Accidental ingestion will cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and gastrointestinal disorder, excessive intake may affect nerve system. This product is easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate, keep sealed storage away from humid environment. It is incompatible with strong alkali and strong oxidants, forbidden to mix store with food and daily necessities. All waste residues shall be disposed strictly in accordance with hazardous chemical standards to avoid personal injury and environmental pollution.