Ethylene glycol ethers are essential chemical products primarily produced through the catalytic addition of ethylene oxide to alcohols, characterized by high efficiency and selectivity. Their core advantages lie in excellent solubility, low toxicity, and versatility, making them widely used in coatings, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and other fields—such as film-forming agents in water-based coatings, semiconductor photoresist thinners, and drug carriers. The production process emphasizes safety and environmental protection, utilizing explosion-proof equipment and waste treatment technologies, with recyclable byproducts. As environmental regulations tighten, low-toxicity derivatives (e.g., propylene glycol ethers) and green processes have become key focuses, balancing economic viability and sustainability.
Here are specific applications of ethylene glycol ethers :
1. Coatings Industry: Acts as a film-forming agent in water-based coatings to enhance adhesion and gloss.
2. Printing Inks: Serves as a solvent to ensure uniform dye dispersion and accelerate drying.
3. Electronic Cleaning: Cleans circuit boards and LCD panels to avoid conductive residues.
4. Semiconductor Manufacturing: Dilutes photoresist for precise nanoscale pattern etching.
5. Lithium Battery Electrolytes: Improves ionic conductivity and high-temperature stability.
6. Pharmaceuticals: Functions in transdermal drug delivery systems to boost active ingredient absorption.
7. Industrial Degreasers: Removes grease and resin residues from metal surfaces (e.g., automotive parts).
8. Pesticide Formulations: Prepares emulsifiable concentrates to enhance pesticide dispersion and adhesion.
9. Aerospace: Used as hydraulic oil additives and fuel system antifreeze in aircraft.
10. Textile Dyeing: Dissolves dyes and acts as a leveling agent for uniform coloration.
Characteristics: The main reaction involves the catalytic ring-opening addition of ethylene oxide with alcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol), using acidic/alkaline or metal catalysts (e.g., sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide).
Advantages:
High selectivity: Catalysts significantly increase the proportion of monoether formation while suppressing byproducts (e.g., diethers), achieving yields of 80%-90%.
Short reaction pathway: One-step addition simplifies the process and ensures high raw material conversion rates.
Characteristics: Strict regulation of temperature (50–150°C), pressure (0.2–1.0 MPa), and excess alcohol ratio (optimized molar ratio).
Advantages:
Suppression of side reactions: Prevents ethylene oxide polymerization and reduces impurity formation.
Safe and stable operation: Mild reaction conditions reduce equipment stress and enhance operational safety.
Characteristics: Integration of multi-stage neutralization, distillation, and extraction processes to separate main products (e.g., monoethers) from byproducts (e.g., diethylene glycol ethers).
Advantages:
High-purity products: Refined through distillation to meet industrial or high-purity standards (e.g., for electronic chemicals).
Resource utilization: Byproducts can be recycled as solvents or intermediates, minimizing waste.
Characteristics:
Explosion-proof equipment and monitoring systems: Customized for ethylene oxide’s flammability and explosiveness.
Waste treatment: Catalytic combustion of exhaust gases, biological degradation of wastewater, and recycling/harmless disposal of spent catalysts.
Advantages:
Production safety: Reduces accident risks and complies with hazardous chemical regulations.
Eco-friendliness: Achieves low emissions, aligning with green chemistry principles.
Characteristics: Widely adopted by global chemical giants (e.g., BASF, Dow) with a highly mature process.
Advantages:
Reliable technology: Long-term industrial validation ensures standardized equipment and stable processes.
Cost-effectiveness: Readily available raw materials (ethylene oxide and alcohols) and economies of scale reduce unit costs, ensuring high ROI.
Characteristics: Production of ethylene glycol monoether series (e.g., ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether) adhering to ASTM and other quality standards.
Advantages:
Market adaptability: Suitable for coatings, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and other industries.
Consistent quality: Monitored via key indicators (e.g., acidity, moisture) to ensure downstream reliability.
Characteristics: Compared to Williamson synthesis (requiring halogenated hydrocarbons) or glycol esterification (complex steps), the main process is simpler and more efficient.
Advantages:
Halogen-free byproducts: Avoids complex treatment steps and environmental burdens.
Superior economics: Lower raw material costs and energy consumption, ideal for large-scale production.
| Specification | Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether | Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether | Triethylene glycol momobutyl ether | Polyethylene glycol butyl ether |
| Appearance | Colorless clear liquid | Colorless clear liquid | Colorless clear liquid | Light yellow clear liquid |
| Content ,wt% ≥ | 99.0 | 99.0 | 98.0 | / |
| Distillation range('C/760mmHg) | 168.0-173.0 | 227.0-235.0 | 273.0-285.0 | ≥280.0 |
| Moisture ，wt% ≤ | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Acidity，wt%(Acetic acid)≤ | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | / |
| Specific gravity( d420 ) | 0.901+0.005 | 0.954+0.005 | 0.981+0.005 | / |
| Chroma, Hazen unit(platinum-cobalt number) | 10 | 15 | 50 | 100 |
Trioxane Plant
Hydrogen Peroxide Plant
Chloroacetic Acid Plant
MIBK ( Methyl Isobuty Ketone ) Plant
EN