As 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is a solid at room temperature, not a gas, a variety of techniques have been used to make this solid usable as an aerosol:
* Melted and sprayed in the molten form.
* Dissolved in organic solvent.
* CS2 dry powder (CS2 is a siliconized, micro-pulverized form of CS).
* CS from thermal grenades by generation of hot gases.
In the Waco Siege in the United States, CS was dissolved in the organic solvent dichloromethane (also known as methylene chloride). The solution was dispersed as an aerosol via explosive force and when the highly volatile dichloromethane evaporated, CS crystals precipitated and formed a fine dispersion in the air.