Product Description ETHYLENE OXIDE CAS#75-21-8
Ethylene oxide, also known as oxirane or oxane, is one of the simplest cyclic ethers. It is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature, and becomes a colorless, mobile liquid below 10.7°C, with a characteristic ether-like odor. Its vapor is irritating to the eyes and nasal mucosa.
Ethylene oxide is completely miscible with water, ethanol, alcohols, and ether. It exhibits high chemical reactivity, readily undergoing addition reactions with many compounds. It can also form explosive mixtures with air, with explosion limits ranging from 3% to 100% (by volume).
As a highly toxic substance, the permissible exposure limit in air is 100 PPM, and inhalation may cause anesthetic poisoning.
Ethylene oxide is an important fine chemical raw material, widely used in the production of key derivatives such as ethylene glycol, nonionic surfactants, ethanolamines, and ethylene glycol ethers. It also serves as a precursor for thousands of downstream products, including synthetic detergents, emulsifiers, antifreeze agents, plasticizers, lubricants, pesticides, and fumigants, with extremely broad industrial applications.
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Parameters
| 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 |
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Ethylene Oxide – Properties and Applications
Ethylene oxide exhibits strong bactericidal properties and does not corrode metals, while also leaving no residual odor. These characteristics make it a suitable gaseous sterilizing agent for various materials. It is commonly used in mixtures such as ethylene oxide/carbon dioxide (90:10) or ethylene oxide/dichlorodifluoromethane, primarily for the sterilization of medical facilities and precision instruments.
Ethylene oxide fumigation is also widely applied in the preservation of grains and food products. For example, during storage, dried egg powder may deteriorate due to microbial activity; treatment with ethylene oxide effectively prevents spoilage without altering its chemical composition, including amino acids.
Due to its ability to react readily with acids, ethylene oxide can be used as an acid-regulating additive, helping to reduce acidity or prevent long-term acidification in certain materials. For instance, in the production of chlorinated butyl rubber, adding ethylene oxide to the isobutylene-isoprene copolymer solution prior to chlorination eliminates the need for subsequent alkali or water washing of the final product.
Ethylene oxide can also release significant energy during autodecomposition, making it suitable as a component in rocket and jet propulsion fuels. It is typically used in mixtures with nitromethane (60:40–95:5), which provide good combustion performance, a low freezing point, and relatively stable characteristics with reduced explosion risk.
In general, direct consumption of ethylene oxide in these applications is relatively limited. As an important derivative in the ethylene industry, it ranks second only to polyethylene, with its primary value lying in the extensive range of downstream products derived from it. The diversity of ethylene oxide derivatives exceeds that of most other ethylene-based chemicals.
Ethylene oxide is approximately 27 times more toxic than ethylene glycol and exhibits toxicity comparable to ammonia. In the human body, it can be metabolized into formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, and oxalic acid, which affect the central nervous system, irritate mucous membranes, and are toxic to cellular protoplasm.
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