Product Description ETHYLENE OXIDE CAS#75-21-8
Ethylene oxide, alternatively named oxirane, belongs to the most basic cyclic-ether family. Under ambient-temperature circumstances, it appears as a colourless combustible gaseous substance. Once the temperature drops beneath 10.7°C, it turns into free-flowing transparent liquid and carries the distinctive scent of ether. Its gaseous fumes will trigger irritation against eye tissues and nasal mucous membranes.
This chemical achieves full mutual solubility with water, ethyl alcohol, other alcoholic solvents as well as ether. Boasting outstanding chemical activity, it easily carries out addition-type chemical reactions with numerous substances. When blended with atmospheric air, it may create explosive combinations, whose volumetric explosion concentration covers 3%-100%.
Classified as a highly hazardous toxic chemical, its airborne occupational exposure threshold equals 100 PPM. Inhalation of its vapour is capable of inducing anaesthetic-type poisoning symptoms.
Ethylene oxide counts as a vital feedstock for fine-chemical manufacturing. It is largely adopted to manufacture major derivatives covering ethylene glycol, non-ionic surface-active agents, ethanolamine and glycol ether. Thousands of downstream manufactured goods take this compound as their synthetic starting-point, such as synthetic cleansers, emulsifying additives, anti-freeze materials, plasticizers, lubricants, agrochemicals and gaseous disinfectants, hence securing its wide-ranging industrial-level usability.
ETHYLENE OXIDE CAS#75-21-8 Chemical Properties
| English Name | ETHYLENE OXIDE |
| English Synonyms | ETHYLENE OXIDE, 99.5+%6;ETHYLENE OXIDE CYLINDER WITH 2 L (NET ~1.5 KG);ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1X1ML, MEOH, 50000UG/ML;ETHYLENE OXIDE 1X1ML, CH2CL2, 2000UG/ML;ETHYLENE OXIDE, CYLINDER WITH 27 L (NET ~20 KG);ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1X1ML, CH2CL2, 50000UG/M L;ETHYLENE OXIDE, PRESSURE TIN WITH 2 50 ML (NET ~225 G);etylenutlenek(polish) |
| CAS Number | 75-21-8 |
| Molecular Formula | C2H40 |
| Molecular Weight | 44.05 |
| EINECS Number | 200-849-9 |
| Melting Point | -111 °C(lit.) |
| Boiling Point | 10.7 °C(lit.) |
| Density | 0.882 g/mL at 25 °C(lit.) |
| Vapor Pressure | 1095 mmHg at 20°C |
| Refractive Index | n20/D 1.3597(lit.) |
| Flash Point | <-17.7℃ |
| Storage Conditions | 2-8℃ |
| Form | Colorless gas |
| Odor (Odor) | Detectable sweet taste from 257 to 690 ppm |
| Merck | 3802 |
| BRN | 102378 |
| Henry's Law | 5.8x10-2 mol/(m3Pa) at 25C, Conway et al. (1983) |
| Constant | TLV-TWA 1.8 mg/m3 (1 ppm) (ACGIH), 0.18 mg/m3 (0.1 ppm), 5 ppm/10 min (NIOSH). |
| Exposure Limits | 14.0 (-4℃) |
| Dielectric Constant | agriculture |
| InChI | 1S/C2H4O/c1-2-3-1/h1-2H2 |
| InChIKey | IAYPIBMASNFSPL-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| SMILES | C1CO1 |
| LogP | -0.3 |
Product Application of ETHYLENE OXIDE CAS#75-21-8
Ethylene-oxide-based sterilizing agent delivers powerful germ-killing capacity. It will not corrode metallic items and leaves behind no lingering smell, which qualifies this gaseous agent for disinfecting multiple kinds of supplies. Common blended formulations contain ethylene-oxide-carbon-dioxide mixture (weight ratio 90:10) or ethylene-oxide-dichlorodifluoromethane combination. These blends are mainly deployed to disinfect medical apparatus and high-precision equipment.
Fumigation treatment with ethylene oxide also gains broad adoption for grain and food preservation. As one typical case, microorganism reproduction may spoil dried egg powder throughout storage. Ethylene-oxide processing can stop food deterioration without changing its chemical makeup, including inherent amino-acid components.
Given its high-speed reaction against acidic substances, ethylene-oxide works as an acidity-adjusting additive. It can cut acid levels or restrain long-run acidification inside particular raw-material systems. Taking chlorinated butyl-rubber manufacture as an example: introducing ethylene oxide into isobutylene-isoprene copolymer liquid before chlorination removes the requirement for later-stage alkali rinsing or water-washing procedures on finished goods.
Self-decomposition of ethylene oxide generates large quantities of heat energy, so the substance can serve as one ingredient for rocket and jet propellant. Its common blending partner is nitromethane within proportion ranges from 60:40 up to 95:5. Such mixed-type fuel brings satisfactory combustion efficiency, low freezing temperature and comparatively steady traits with lowered explosion hazards.
Direct consumption of ethylene oxide for the above-mentioned uses stays comparatively low. Being a core ethylene-industry intermediate, it is only second to polyethylene in market importance. Its major commercial value originates from abundant downstream derivatives. Few ethylene-derived chemicals can match its rich variety of processed products.
The toxic strength of ethylene oxide is around 27-fold higher than ethylene glycol and reaches a toxicity level close to ammonia. Inside human metabolism, it gets converted into formaldehyde, ethylene glycol and oxalic acid. These metabolites damage the central nerve system, trigger mucosal irritation and produce poisonous impacts on cell cytoplasm.
