Butyl Glycol

What is Butyl Glycol?

Molecular Formula (Butyl Glycol): C₆H₁₄O₂

Molecular Weight: 118.176 g/mol

Chemical Name: 2-Butoxyethanol

CAS Number: 111-76-2

Chemically, Butyl Glycol is a primary alcohol, which is ethanol with one of the methyl hydrogens replaced by a butoxy group.

It has a role as a protic solvent. It is a primary alcohol and an ether.

It acts as a surfactant by lowering the surface tension of water.

Other Names Include:

• 2-butoxyethanol
• Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether
• BG Ether
• Glycol Butyl Ether
• 2-Butoxy ethanol
• 2-n-Butoxyethanol
• Ether Alcohol
• Butyl Glycol
• Butyglcol
• Ethylene Glycol, monobutyl ether
• Butyl Monoether Glycol
• Butyl 2-hydroxyethyl ether
• Solvent
• Butyl Cellulose
• Ethanol-2-butoxy-
• 111-76-2
• Butoxyethanol

How is it Produced?

It is produced by the reaction of Ethylene Oxide with suitable alcohols, or by the reaction of Ethylene Chloride or Ethylene Glycol with sodium hydroxide.

What are its Physical and Chemical Properties?

It is a colorless liquid with a sweet taste and an ether-like odor.

It has a lower density than water.

It has a high boiling point. Its boiling point is 164.8 °C.

Its melting point is -74.8 °C.

Regarding solubility, Butyl Glycol is soluble in water. It is slightly soluble in ethyl alcohol. It is also slightly soluble in ethyl ether and carbon tetrachloride.

It is miscible in almost all proportions with Acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ethyl ether, n-heptane, and water.

It has a solubility of 1000 mg/mL at 20 °C.

Its density is stated as 0.9015 g/cm³ at 20 °C.

What are the Usage Areas of Butyl Glycol?

• It is widely used in water-based paints and also as a solvent for Nitrocellulose, Alkyd resin, and phenolic resin modified by maleic anhydride.
• Its applications prominently include the manufacturing of printing inks.
• It is used in the manufacturing of liquid detergents, cleaning detergents, and industrial detergents.

It is used in the manufacturing of the following products;

1. Metal cleaning agent
2. Paint Stripper manufacturing
3. Manufacturing of Degreasing agents
4. Manufacturing of degreasing products
5. Engine Cleaner Manufacturing (due to its oily nature)
6. Dry Cleaning solvent
7. Epoxy Solvent
8. Pharmaceutical Extraction
9. It is used as a dispersant for pesticides and a co-solvent for printing ink.

• It is used as a coupling solvent in chemo-technical formulas. It is also used as a solvent in the paint and coating industry.
• The reason for using Butyl Glycol in resins is due to its excellent solvent properties.

It is a primary component in the production of the following substances:

1. Liquid Soaps
2. Cosmetic products
3. Dry cleaning products
4. Varnish manufacturing
5. Herbicides
6. It is a primary component of latex paints

• It is used in the manufacturing of insecticides and pesticides.
• It is used in the manufacturing of adhesives and sealants.
• It is used in the manufacturing of fuels and fuel additives.
• It is used as a catalyst.
• In the crushing industry, it is used in ore enrichment plants to prevent foam formation during the flotation process. It is also used for the homogeneous dispersion of large-grained materials.

What Factors Affect its Prices?

Butyl Glycol prices are constantly increasing with the development of industrial manufacturing. The price primarily depends on the prices of the chemical raw materials used in its production. As the price of Ethylene Oxide increases, the price of this chemical will also increase.

The price varies depending on the stock levels of the companies selling this chemical. As stock quantity increases, the price decreases.

The price is directly proportional to the distance of the usage area from the Butyl Glycol production facility. The price of the chemical will increase with distance from the plant because transportation costs will increase due to the distance.

As the number of selling companies increases, the price will decrease. If it is sold wholesale, the unit price will be lower.