Butyl acetate is an organic compound found in many fruits and used as a solvent with lacquers and an artificial fruit flavor. It contains six carbon molecules, 12 hydrogen molecules, and two oxygen molecules. Butyl acetate is synthesized for commercial use and is found in products such as milk, cheese, rum, and cosmetics. It has a high chance of catching fire and causing health problems and should be stored away from high temperatures.
Butyl acetate, also called n-butyl acetate or butyl ethanoate, is an organic compound, which means it is a compound that has carbon. In terms of its molecular structure, butyl acetate contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Organically, butyl acetate is found in many fruits. When synthesized, it is used as a solvent with lacquers and as an artificial fruit flavor.
Butyl acetate contains six carbon molecules, 12 hydrogen molecules and two oxygen molecules. The molar mass, which measures the mass of each molecule in a compound, is 116.16 g/mol, making it a fairly heavy compound. In appearance, butyl ethanoate is colorless, a liquid at room temperature, and has a fruity odor. The melting point is -101° Fahrenheit (-74° Celsius) and the boiling point is 256°F (126°C). It is an ester, which means it is an organic compound in which a hydrogen molecule is replaced with an alkyl.
Although created naturally in many fruits, most butyl ethanoate is synthesized for commercial use. It is created using an isomer of butanol and an acetic acid. These compounds go through esterification and are then heated with a strong acid such as sulfuric acid.
Naturally, butyl acetate is found in pears, raspberries and pineapples, along with many other fruits. Honey bee stingers have pheromones that contain butyl ethanoate. Products featuring this compound include milk, cheese, rum, roasted nuts, and many other products that require fermentation.
As a solvent, butyl acetate is found in several products. For home use, butyl ethanoate is used in lacquers. The pharmaceutical industry also uses this compound as an extraction agent. Other minor uses include fragrances, cosmetics and cleaning products.
The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) classifies all chemicals, elements and compounds according to safety. Areas rated on a scale of 0 to 4, with 4 being the most severe, are health, flammability, reactivity and contact. Reactivity of butyl acetate is rated 1, while health and flammability are both 2, and contact is 3. This means it has a high chance of catching fire and causing health problems, and an even higher chance to burn the skin when it comes into contact with a person.
The MSDS also provides rankings based on possible problems that can occur during the storage of a substance. Butyl ethanoate storage classification is red. This means it can catch fire and should be stored away from high temperatures.
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