Ethyl tert-butyl ether

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ethyl tert-butyl ether^[1]

IUPAC name	2-Ethoxy-2-methyl-propane
Other names	Ethyl tert-butyl ether Ethyl tertiary butyl ether Ethyl tert-butyl oxide tert-Butyl ethyl ether Ethyl t-butyl ether
Identifiers
Abbreviations	ETBE
CAS number	[637-92-3]
PubChem	12512
EINECS number	211-309-7
RTECS number	KN4730200
SMILES	CCOC(C)(C)C
InChI	1/C6H14O/c1-5-7-6(2,3)4/h5H2,1-4H3
Properties
Molecular formula	C₆H₁₄O
Molar mass	102.17 g mol^-1
Appearance	Clear colorless liquid
Density	0.7364 g/cm³
Melting point	-94 °C, 179 K, -137 °F
Boiling point	69-71 °C
Solubility in water	1.2 g/100 g
Hazards
R-phrases	R11 R20
S-phrases	S16
Flash point	-19 °C
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) is commonly used as an oxygenate gasoline additive in the production of gasoline from crude oil. ETBE offers equal or greater air quality benefits as ethanol, while being technically and logistically less challenging. Unlike ethanol, ETBE does not induce evaporation of gasoline, which is one of the causes of smog, and does not absorb moisture from the atmosphere.

1 Synthesis
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Synthesis

It is synthesized by mixing ethanol and isobutylene and reacting them with heat over a catalyst.

Ethanol, produced by fermentation and distillation, is more expensive than methanol, which is derived from natural gas. Therefore, MTBE, made from methanol is cheaper than ETBE, made from ethanol. However, (bio)ethanol makes ETBE partially a biofuel, while MTBE is entirely a fossil fuel and introduces a risk to the environment (see the article on MTBE).