Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(1)

Key Documents

443808

Sigma-Aldrich

tert-Butyl methyl ether

ACS reagent, ≥99.0%

Synonym(s):

MTBE, Methyl tert-butyl ether

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Linear Formula:
(CH3)3COCH3
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
88.15
Beilstein:
1730942
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12352112
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.07

grade

ACS reagent

Quality Level

vapor density

3.1 (vs air)

vapor pressure

4.05 psi

Assay

≥99.0%

form

liquid

autoignition temp.

705 °F

expl. lim.

15.1 %

impurities

≤0.05% water
<1 ppm H2O2

evapn. residue

≤0.001%

color

APHA: ≤10

refractive index

n20/D 1.369 (lit.)

bp

55-56 °C (lit.)

mp

-110 °C

density

0.74 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

application(s)

microbiology

SMILES string

COC(C)(C)C

InChI

1S/C5H12O/c1-5(2,3)6-4/h1-4H3

InChI key

BZLVMXJERCGZMT-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

tert-Butyl methyl ether (methyl tert-butyl ether, MTBE) is a gasoline additive. Its oxidative degradation by propane-oxidizing bacterial strains has been tested. Kinetics of its heat-mediated biodegradation has been investigated under various reaction conditions. Its biodegradation followed a pseudo-first-order decay model and its pseudo-first-order rate constants were evaluated. Its extraction from water has been proposed by employing an organic polymeric compound, Nafion. MTBE can be synthesized by acid-catalyzed reaction between methanol and isobutene. A study suggests that the addition of MTBE increases the number of active sites during polymerization of propene by stopped-flow method. This solvent meets ACS (American Chemical Society) specifications and can be used for processes requiring strict quality conditions such as analytical testing.

Application

tert-Butyl methyl ether (methyl tert-butyl ether, MTBE) may be used:
  • As sole carbon and energy source in a mixed microbial consortium.
  • To extract lipids from biological fluids for shotgun profiling.
  • To synthesize fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and glycerol tert-butyl ether by transesterification of canola oil in the absence of catalyst under supercritical condition.

Pictograms

FlameExclamation mark

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Statements

Hazard Classifications

Flam. Liq. 2 - Skin Irrit. 2

Storage Class Code

3 - Flammable liquids

WGK

WGK 1

Flash Point(F)

-18.4 °F - closed cup

Flash Point(C)

-28 °C - closed cup


Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Removal of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) with Nafion.
Lien HL and Zhang WX
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 144(1), 194-199 (2007)
Lipid extraction by methyl-tert-butyl ether for high-throughput lipidomics.
Matyash V, et al.
Journal of Lipid Research, 49(5), 1137-1146 (2008)
Eagleson M.
Concise Encyclopedia Chemistry, 154-154 (1994)
New approach of catalyst-free biodiesel production from canola oil in supercritical tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE).
Farobie O, et al.
Fuel: The Science and Technology of Fuel and Energy, 135, 172-181 (2014)
J R Hanson et al.
Applied and environmental microbiology, 65(11), 4788-4792 (1999-11-05)
A bacterial strain, PM1, which is able to utilize methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as its sole carbon and energy source, was isolated from a mixed microbial consortium in a compost biofilter capable of degrading MTBE. Initial linear rates of MTBE

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service