n-Butyl Acetate

Moderately volatile, colourless solvent with excellent solvency for cellulose nitrate, polymers, resins and oils. Important solvent in the manufacture of paints, leather and in the chemical and allied industries.

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n-Butyl acetate is a clear, moderately volatile liquid with a characteristic ester odour. It is miscible with all conventional solvents such as alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, ethers, glycols, glycol ethers, aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Its solubility in water is limited.

n-Butyl acetate is an important solvent in the paints industry on account of its versatility. It is an excellent solvent for cellulose nitrate, resins and polymers and for oils and fats. Its moderate volatility and its resistance to blushing and levelling problems such as orange peel effects make it possible for paints with excellent levelling and gloss to be formulated. n-Butyl acetate is often employed in combination with n-butanol in paints, because n-butanol enhances the resistance to blushing and increases the solvency in many cases. n-Butanol cannot be used in paint systems that have to be free of hydroxyl groups, such as isocyanate paints.

Because of its low water absorption, its high resistance to hydrolysis and its high solvency, n-butyl acetate can also be employed as an extractant in the manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations and as an ingredient of cleaners, essences and fragrances.