Background and overview【1】
Ethylene glycol butyl ether includes ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether and triethylene glycol monobutyl ether. Among them, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether has the largest production and consumption, accounting for about ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. About 70% of butyl alcohol. Since the molecular structure of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether contains hydroxyl and ether bonds, it is both hydrophilic and lipophilic, and can be dissolved in water, methanol, ethanol, ether, acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, heptane and other organic solvents and More than 75% of mineral oil is used as a solvent in coatings, inks, cleaning agents, etc. Its non-solvent uses include brake fluid, antifreeze and other chemical intermediates.
In the past 20 years, my country’s glycol ether products have developed rapidly. In 1988, the country only consumed 260 tons of glycol ether. By 2007, the annual consumption of glycol ether exceeded 200,000 tons. In 2009, only ethylene glycol The consumption of butyl ether exceeds 110,000 tons. Due to the rapid development of my country’s coating industry, it has become inevitable to replace oil-based coatings with water-based coatings, which has greatly increased the demand for glycol ether products, especially ethylene glycol butyl ether. It is expected that in the next few years, my country’s demand for ethylene glycol butyl ether will maintain a rapid growth rate of more than 10% per year. 1.2 Production my country’s huge glycol ether market has spawned the participation of some private enterprises, but the scale is generally small, the production technology level is not high, and the operating rate is low. After years of horizontal competition and the impact of imported products, there are currently several domestic companies with annual production capacities exceeding 10,000 tons, and their technical levels have also been greatly improved. For example, the 60,000 t/a ethylene glycol butyl ether unit of Dana (Nanjing) Chemical Co., Ltd., which was put into operation in July 2009, uses new catalyst technology to produce ethylene glycol butyl ether with a yield of more than 90%, and the by-product diethylene glycol butyl ether is Butyl alcohol ether is controlled below 10%, while the target product yield of the currently internationally used ethylene glycol butyl ether catalytic technology is only within 75%. This process avoids the disadvantages of traditional processes that cannot effectively utilize a large number of by-products. At present, there are four major domestic manufacturers of ethylene glycol butyl ether, with a total production capacity of 120,000 t/a. See Table 1 for details. According to public literature reports, there is a plan to build a new 80,000 t/a ethylene glycol butyl ether plant in the second phase of Yangtze River Basin.
The total domestic production capacity of ethylene glycol butyl ether reached 120,000 t/a, but there was basically no mass production in 2009. Among them, the 60,000 t/a ethylene glycol butyl ether unit of Dana (Nanjing) Chemical Co., Ltd., the largest domestic manufacturer of ethylene glycol butyl ether, has not been in mass production since its completion in July 2009; some other manufacturers are engaged in Distribution of imported products; There are also some ethylene glycol butyl ether production companies that also use this product, but these companies even use imported ethylene glycol butyl ether as raw materials. Domestic products are basically priced but not marketable.
Appearance and characteristics
Colorless transparent liquid with a slight ether smell.
Main purposes【2】
Solvent used in nitrocellulose, paints, resins and paint removers to remove dirt from metal, fabric, glass and plastic surfaces. It is also used as fiber lubricant, pesticide dispersant, resin plasticizer and organic synthesis intermediate.
Danger
Heavier than air, it will spread at a lower level to a considerable distance, and will catch fire and explode when encountering a fire source. Long-term exposure to air or high heat can easily generate explosive organic peroxides. Reacts with oxidants and strong acids. Can dissolve a variety of plastics, rubber or coatings.
Fire-fighting methods
Firefighters must wear air respirators and full-body firefighting suits and fight fires in the upwind direction. If possible, move the container from the fire site to an open area. Spray water to keep the fire container cool until the fire is extinguished. If a container in a fire scene undergoes abnormal changes or makes abnormal sounds, it must be evacuated immediately. Fire extinguishing media: mist water, solvent-resistant foam, carbon dioxide, dry powder, sand.
Health Hazards
This product is irritating to skin and eyes. After accidental ingestion, it caused coma, metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia and hypoalbuminemia, and recovered after supportive treatment. Inhalation of 491 to 972mg/m3 can cause headache, which is more severe in women than in men.
First aid
Take off contaminated clothing after skin contact and wash thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention. In case of eye contact, immediately open the upper and lower eyelids and flush with running water or saline for at least 15 minutes. Seek medical attention. If inhaled, quickly move away from the site to fresh air. Keep your airway open. Keep warm and rest. Give oxygen if breathing is difficult. Once breathing stops, begin CPR immediately. Seek medical attention. If swallowed by mistake, rinse your mouth immediately, drink enough warm water, and perform gastric lavage as soon as possible. Seek medical attention.
Note【2】
The production process is sealed and ventilation is enhanced. Safety showers and eyewash facilities are provided.
Respiratory protection: Wear a gas mask when you may be exposed to its vapors. During emergency rescue or evacuation, it is recommended to wear self-contained breathing apparatus.
Eye Protection Wear chemical safety glasses. Protective clothing Wear anti-static overalls.
Hand Protection Wear protective gloves. Smoking, eating and drinking are prohibited at other work sites. After the operation, shower and change clothes. Conduct pre-employment and regular physical examinations.
Delineate a warning area based on the area affected by liquid flow and vapor diffusion, and evacuate irrelevant personnel to a safe area from the crosswind and upwind directions. Eliminate all sources of ignition. Emergency personnel should wear full-face gas masks and anti-virus and anti-static clothing. Use communication tools that meet the requirements of explosion-proof grade. Take care�Take measures such as valves or plugging to cut off the source of leakage. Build dikes or dig pits to contain leaked fluids to prevent them from flowing into rivers, sewers, flood ditches and other areas. Cover spills with solvent-resistant foam to reduce evaporation. Spray water dissolves and dilutes volatile vapors. The contained leakage liquid is transferred to a tanker or special collector using an explosion-proof pump. Use vermiculite or sand to absorb the residual liquid. It can also be rinsed with large amounts of water, but attention should be paid to the disposal of the waste water produced.
Preparation
The reaction was carried out in a 2 L stainless steel autoclave with a stirring device. Replace the air in the kettle with N 2 three times, add materials according to the set charging ratio and catalyst dosage, and heat to the set reaction temperature for reaction. After the reaction is completed, the reaction mixture is cooled to about 60°C by cooling water and discharged to obtain crude ethylene glycol butyl ether.
References
[1]Zhang Yueli. Domestic market survey of ethylene glycol butyl ether[J]. Chemical Industry, 2010, 28(12):19-21+25.
[2] Editor-in-chief Wang Guangsheng; deputy editor-in-chief Zhang Haifeng, Petrochemical Raw Materials and Product Safety Manual, Sinopec Press, 2010.08, page 24
[3] Guo Dengfeng, Liu Hong, Liu Zhun, Cao Huiqing, Zhao Wen, Shi Zhaojun. Synthesis of ethylene glycol butyl ether catalyzed by solid base catalyst KF/Al_2O_3 [J]. Journal of Nanjing University of Science and Technology (Natural Science Edition), 2011, 35(01):122-126.
