What is Isobutyl Alcohol?
Isobutyl alcohol is a colorless, oily solvent with a sweet whiskey taste but a wine-like, unpleasant odor. As a class IC flammable liquid, isobutyl alcohol has a flashpoint at or above 73°F and below 100°F. It acts as a midway for synthetic resins and is a product of fermentation.
It can be made from the hydrogenation of isobutyraldehyde which is obtained by the hydroformylation of propylene. Isobutyl alcohol can also be a by-product of synthetic methanol production that is purified by rectification.
For more information on how isobutyl alcohol acts as a solvent, check out this article!
Industries and Applications of Isobutyl Alcohol
The main industries that use isobutyl alcohol and how they use it are as follows:
- Absorbent
- Soaking up liquid
- Adhesive
- General binding agent
- Agriculture
- Growing crops
- Animal feed
- Raising animals
- Materials
- Flooring materials, such as carpets, wood, vinyl
- Wax or polish for floors
- Food
- Spices, extracts, colorings, flavors added for human consumption
- General flavoring agent
- Fragrances
- Odor agents such as cleaners, laundry products, air fresheners
- Manufacturing
- Paint
- Coating
- Hardening
- Remover
- Stripper
- Pesticide
- Substances for preventing, destroying, or mitigating pests
- Printing
- Ink
Chemical Safety
Isobutyl alcohol is a generally safe to use solvent but is a flammable and can cause skin irritation if not used properly. It is easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames, and the vapors are capable of forming explosive mixtures with air. They also may travel to source of ignition and flash back because they are heavier than air. Isobutyl alcohol is also stated to be irritating to the skin but is more irritating to the eyes.
For more information on how to safely use isobutyl alcohol, refer to the safety data sheet.
If you would like to purchase isobutyl alcohol, contact Ecolink at (800)-563-1305 or email info@ecolink.com
If you have any further questions, submit an inquiry through our online form.
