A highly practical chemical for both industrial and commercial use is dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether. Its primary commercial application is as a paint, varnish, ink, remover, and degreaser solvent. In water-based paints and inks, it is also used as a coalesce agent, where it encourages polymer fusing during drying. Coatings used in the automobile industry, industrial maintenance, and metal finishing also contain it, as do wood and coil coatings. It is also a component of hydraulic fluids and industrial degreasers and is a chemical additive in the oil production and drilling industry. Dowanol DPM is a very useful chemical building block in the manufacture of many products.