2-Ethyl-1-hexanol: Application, Properties and Production
2-ethyl-1-hexanol, its English name is "2-ethyl-1-hexanol", which plays an important role in the chemical industry. This article details its application, properties and production related matters.
Application
2-ethyl-1-hexanol is widely used. In the coating industry, it is often used as a solvent. Due to its good solubility, the components in the paint can be evenly dispersed, improving the application performance and film-forming quality of the paint, making the coating flatter and smoother, and enhancing its adhesion and durability. Many architectural coatings and industrial protective coatings rely on this characteristic to achieve the ideal decorative and protective effect.
In the field of plasticizer production, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol is a key raw material. The plasticizer made from it can significantly improve the flexibility and processability of plastic products. Like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, whether it is soft film, artificial leather, or hard pipes and plates, after adding a plasticizer made of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol as raw material, it can become easy to process and shape, and has suitable softness and mechanical properties, greatly expanding the application range of PVC products.
In addition, in the ink industry, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol is used as a solvent and auxiliary agent to help adjust the drying speed and fluidity of the ink. This allows the ink to be transferred more accurately to the surface of the printing material during the printing process, forming clear and firm graphics, which are widely used in various printing processes, such as offset printing, gravure printing, etc.
Properties
In terms of physical properties, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol is a colorless and transparent liquid with a special odor. Its boiling point is relatively high, about 184 ° C, which makes it stable at room temperature and not easy to volatilize. At the same time, its density is about 0.83g/cm ³, which is different from that of water. In some processes involving liquid-liquid separation, this property is convenient for separation operations by physical methods.
In terms of chemical properties, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol has the typical properties of alcohol compounds. Its hydroxyl group (-OH) is more active and can undergo esterification reaction. For example, it reacts with carboxylic acids under the action of catalysts to form corresponding ester compounds, which are widely used in the fragrance, cosmetics and other industries. In addition, it can also undergo oxidation reactions, and under appropriate conditions, it can be oxidized to aldehyde or carboxylic acid, providing a rich reaction path for organic synthesis.
There are two main production methods for producing
2-ethyl-1-hexanol. One is acetaldehyde acetation, which uses acetaldehyde as the starting material. First, the two-molecule acetaldehyde undergoes hydroxyaldehyde condensation reaction under the action of basic catalyst to generate 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde. Next, 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde is dehydrated under heating conditions to form crotonaldehyde. Crotonaldehyde is further hydrogenated with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to form n-butyraldehyde. Finally, the two-molecule n-butyraldehyde undergoes hydroxyaldehyde condensation reaction again under the action of an alkaline catalyst, and then hydrogenated and reduced to obtain 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. This method has a wide range of raw materials and relatively mature processes. It is one of the main methods for industrial production at present.
Another method is the acrylic carbonyl synthesis method. Acrylic, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are used as raw materials, and a carbonyl synthesis reaction occurs under the action of a catalyst to generate a mixture of butyraldehyde isomers. After separating and purifying n-butyraldehyde, the subsequent steps are similar to the process of preparing 2-ethyl-1-hexanol from n-butyraldehyde in acetaldehyde acetal. This method has the advantages of high atomic utilization and good product quality. With the continuous development of technology, its application in industrial production is becoming more and more extensive.
To sum up, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol occupies an indispensable position in the chemical industry with its unique applications, properties and diverse production methods, and plays an important role in promoting the development of related industries.
