Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Butanone, also known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or ethyl methyl ketone, is an organic compound with the formula CH3C(O)CH2CH3. This colorless liquid ketone has a sharp, sweet odor reminiscent of acetone. It is produced industrially on a large scale, but occurs in nature only in trace amounts. It is partially soluble in water, and is commonly used as an industrial solvent. It is an isomer of another solvent, tetrahydrofuran.
Application
MEK is also used in the manufacture of plastics and textiles, the manufacture of printing inks, and also in rubber-based industrial cements. It is also used in the chemical industry as it is a precursor to methyl ethyl ketone peroxide which is itself used as a catalyst to initiate the polymerisation of polyester resins used in fibre-glass reinforced products.
| Chemical formula | C4H8O |
|---|---|
| Molar mass | 72.107 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | Colorless liquid |
| Odor | Mint or acetone-like |
| Density | 0.8050 g/mL |
| Melting point | −86 °C (−123 °F; 187 K) |
| Boiling point | 79.64 °C (175.35 °F; 352.79 K) |
| Solubility in water | 27.5 g/100 mL |
| log P | 0.37[ |
| Vapor pressure | 78 mmHg (20 °C) |
| Acidity (pKa) | 14.7 |
| Magnetic susceptibility (χ) | −45.58·10−6 cm3/mol |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.37880 |
| Viscosity | 0.43 cP |
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.