Ethyl Acetate

Ethyl acetate is the ester of ethanol and acetic acid. It is colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, decaffeinating tea and coffee, and cigarettes. Ethyl acetate is synthesized in industry mainly via the classic Fischer esterification reaction of ethanol and acetic acid. It is also prepared in industry using the Tishchenko reaction, by combining two equivalents of acetaldehyde in the presence of an alkoxide catalyst. Ethyl acetate is used primarily as a solvent and diluent, being favored because of its low cost, low toxicity, and agreeable odor. Ethyl acetate is the most common ester in wine, being the product of the most common volatile acetic acid and the ethyl alcohol generated during the fermentation. Ethyl Acetate is used in a variety of coating formulations such as epoxies, urethanes, cellulosics, acrylics and vinyls. Ethyl Acetate has applications as a solvent in inks for flexographic and rotogravure printing. It is used as an extraction solvent in the production of pharmaceuticals and food, and as a carrier solvent for herbicides.It is a very useful organic compound. The production of ethyl acetate in Large-scale itself shows its importance in the industry. Let’s take a look at some important uses of ethyl acetate, Ethyl acetate is primarily used as a solvent and diluent in chemical laboratories for column and thin-layer chromatography to purify chemical compounds.
It is also used as a solvent in making paints, lacquers, varnishes, cleaning liquids, artificial leather, smokeless powder, photographic films, artificial silk, etc.
Ethyl acetate has a wide range of uses in nail polish, nail polish remover, perfumes in the Cosmetic Industry.