387614

Ethylene oxide

≥99.5%

• Synonym(s): Oxirane
• Empirical Formula (Hill Notation): C₂H₄O
• CAS Number: 75-21-8
• Molecular Weight: 44.05
• Beilstein/REAXYS Number: 102378
• EC Number: 200-849-9
• MDL number: MFCD00014482
• UNSPSC Code: 12142100
• PubChem Substance ID: 24864134

Properties

• Quality Level: 200
• assay: ≥99.5%
• refractive index: n20/D 1.3597 (lit.)
• bp: 10.7 °C (lit.)
• mp: −111 °C (lit.)
• density: 0.882 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)
• storage temp.: 2-8°C
• SMILES string: C1CO1
• InChI: 1S/C2H4O/c1-2-3-1/h1-2H2
• InChI key: IAYPIBMASNFSPL-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Description

General description

Ethylene oxide is generally synthesized by chlorohydrine process and direct oxidation of ethylene with air, catalyzed by silver(Ag).

Ethylene oxide serves as a starting material to produce ethylene glycols, surfactants, emulsifiers, and polyurethane foams.

Application

Ethylene oxide can be used as a precursor to synthesize:

• Poly(ethylene oxides) and poly(ethyleneglycol)s.
• Ethylene carbonate via coupling reaction with CO₂ catalyzed by imidazolium zinc tetrahalides.;
• α,ω-heterodifunctionalized poly(ethylene oxide)s using organocatalyst N-heterocyclic carbenes via ring-opening polymerization.

Packaging

Supplied in a carbon steel lecture bottle with a CGA180M/CGA110F needle valve installed.

Compatible with the following:

• Aldrich^® lecture-bottle station systems
• Aldrich^® lecture-bottle gas regulators

Other Notes

See Technical Information Bulletin AL-151 Gas Regulators: Selection, Installation, and Operation

Legal Information

Aldrich is a registered trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC

Safety Information

• pictograms: GHS02,GHS04,GHS06,GHS08,GHS05
• signalword: Danger
• hcodes: H220,H230,H280,H301 + H331,H314,H335,H336,H340,H350,H360FD,H372
• pcodes: P202 - P210 - P260 - P280 - P303 + P361 + P353 - P304 + P340 + P310 - P305 + P351 + P338 - P403 + P233 - P410 + P403
• Hazard Classifications: Acute Tox. 3 Inhalation - Acute Tox. 3 Oral - Carc. 1B - Chem. Unst. Gas A - Eye Dam. 1 - Flam. Gas 1A - Muta. 1B - Press. Gas Liquefied gas - Repr. 1B - Skin Corr. 1B - STOT RE 1 - STOT SE 3
• target_organs: Central nervous system, Nervous system, Respiratory system
• Storage Class: 2A - Gases
• wgk_germany: WGK 3
• flash_point_f: -4.0 °F - closed cup
• flash_point_c: -20.0 °C - closed cup
• ppe: Eyeshields, Faceshields, Gloves