What is Butyl glycidyl ether and how is it used in industry?

Butyl glycidyl ether, also known as reactive diluent 501, is a colorless to pale yellow transparent liquid at room temperature and pressure, with a unique irritating odor and some hygroscopicity. It is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, acetone, and benzene. Butyl glycidyl ether is an ether compound with epoxy ethane, which has high chemical reactivity and is mainly used as a stabilizer and plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride in the industrial preparation of polymers.

Figure 1: Characteristics of Butyl glycidyl ether

Physical and Chemical Properties

Butyl glycidyl ether has extremely low viscosity, only 0.002 Pa.s, making it an effective diluent for epoxy resins. It contains ether bonds and epoxy groups, which participate in reactions during the curing of polymers to form a homogeneous system. It is generally used in an amount of 10-15% of the resin weight. Butyl glycidyl ether also has good solubility and can be used as a solvent, especially for dissolving resins, paints, and coatings. The epoxy ethane unit in its structure has high chemical reactivity, participating in various organic transformation reactions, including nucleophilic addition reactions with formate reagents, ring-opening reactions under acidic or basic conditions, and serving as an intermediate in the synthesis of ether compounds.

Industrial Applications

Butyl glycidyl ether is widely used in the electronics, electrical, electromechanical, and mechanical industries to reduce the viscosity of epoxy resins, improve processability, and be suitable for applications such as potting, casting, laminating, impregnating, insulation materials, adhesives, solvent-free coatings, and adhesives. It effectively reduces the viscosity of epoxy resins, improving their flowability and coating performance, acting as a diluent during resin curing. Additionally, it has toughening effects, enhancing the toughness and impact resistance of epoxy resins. It can also be used as a stabilizer and plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride, as an active diluent for bisphenol A epoxy resins. Butyl glycidyl ether has low toxicity, ease of use, and can effectively improve post-curing resin properties such as impact strength.

References

[1] Huang B.W., Jiang A.K., Weng Z.X., et al. Synthesis of Butyl glycidyl ether and its research as a cationic UV curing diluent [J]. Fine Petrochemicals, 2010: 4.