what is ethyl acetate EA?
Ethyl acetate, also known as acetic acid ethyl ester, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C₄H₈O₂. It is an ester containing the functional group –COOR (with a carbon–oxygen double bond). Like typical esters, it can undergo alcoholysis, ammonolysis, transesterification, and reduction reactions. Ethyl acetate is mainly used as a solvent, a food-grade flavoring agent, and a cleaning/degreasing agent.
ethyl acetate chemical and physical properties
Ethyl acetate possesses distinctive physical properties. It is a colorless, transparent liquid with a strong fruity aroma, which is one reason it is commonly used as a food flavoring agent. It has a relatively low boiling point of approximately 77°C and a melting point of -83.6°C. Its density is lower than that of water, at about 0.902 g/cm³. Ethyl acetate is slightly soluble in water but miscible with ethanol, diethyl ether, chloroform, and many other organic solvents in any proportion, making it an excellent solvent.
Chemically, ethyl acetate exhibits typical ester reaction characteristics. It readily undergoes hydrolysis: under acidic conditions, it hydrolyzes reversibly to form acetic acid and ethanol; under alkaline conditions, hydrolysis proceeds more completely, yielding acetate salts and ethanol-a reaction also known as saponification. Additionally, ethyl acetate can undergo reactions such as alcoholysis and ammonolysis, which enable its application in organic synthesis.
What is the chemical formula of ethyl acetate?
Ethyl acetate (systematically known as ethyl ethanoate, commonly abbreviated as EtOAc, ETAC, or EA) is an organic compound represented by the chemical formula CH3−COO−CH2−CH3, simplified as C4H8O2.
ethyl acetate chemical formula
ethyl acetate industrial uses
Industrial solvent: Fast-drying, excellent solubility; widely used in adhesives, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, plasticizers, thinners, inks, and artificial leather.
Textile industry: Used as a cleaning agent.
Electronics: Acts as a degreasing solvent for cleaning integrated circuits.
Chemical analysis:
- Eluent for column chromatography
- Analytical reagent & chromatographic standard
- Solvent for determining metals (e.g., bismuth, gold, iron, mercury, platinum) and oxidizing agents
- Used in biochemical research and protein sequencing
Chemical synthesis: Solvent for synthesizing vitamin E and various pharmaceutical intermediates (e.g., gatifloxacin, teriflunomide).
Natural extraction: Extracts moderately polar components such as alkaloids, organic acids, flavonoids, and coumarins.
application of ethyl acetate
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Bulk Industrial buyers often purchase Ethyl Acetate EA together with other solvents and intermediates.
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