2-Ethylhexanol

Basic Introduction

Isooctanol, chemically known as 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH), is an important branched fatty alcohol. Its molecular formula is C₈H₁₈O (structural formula CH₃(CH₂)₃CH(C₂H₅)CH₂OH), molecular weight is 130.23 g/mol, and CAS number is 104-76-7. It is a colorless, transparent, viscous liquid with a slightly oily odor. Its core characteristics are low toxicity, high boiling point, excellent solubility, and mild reactivity. It is a core raw material in the plasticizer industry and also functions as a solvent and intermediate.

Physical Properties

Melting point: -76℃. It is a stable viscous liquid at room temperature and does not easily solidify at low temperatures, exhibiting good cold resistance.

Boiling point: 183.5℃ (at normal pressure). It belongs to the high-boiling-point alcohols and has extremely low volatility, making it difficult to evaporate and lose during use.

Density: 0.834 g/cm³ (20℃), lighter than water, floats on water when still, and its fluidity increases slightly with temperature.

Solubility: Slightly soluble in water (approximately 0.1 g/100mL at 20℃), readily soluble in most organic solvents such as ethanol, ether, acetone, toluene, and mineral oil, and can dissolve a variety of substances including greases, resins, and waxes.

Vapor pressure: 0.013 kPa (20℃), extremely low volatility, almost no vapor accumulation, high safety in operating environments.

Closed-cup flash point: 81℃, classifying it as a flammable liquid, but the fire risk is far lower than that of low-boiling-point solvents.

Explosion limits: 1.0%-7.7% (volume ratio, vapor/air), with an explosion risk only under high temperature or continuous heating with an open flame.

Relative vapor density: 4.49 (air = 1), vapor is heavier than air, and if it evaporates at high temperatures, it tends to slowly accumulate in low-lying areas.

With a refractive index of 1.4310 (nD²⁰), it exhibits good optical transparency and does not affect the light transmission of the dissolved system.

Main Uses: Isooctyl alcohol is primarily used as a core raw material in the production of phthalate plasticizers, and is also applied in coating solvents, lubricants, defoamers, surfactants, and pharmaceutical/pesticide intermediates.