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Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the formula C 2 H 4 O. It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless and flammable gas with a faintly sweet odor.
The reaction typically proceeds by blowing ethylene oxide through the alcohol at 180 °C and under 1-2 bar of pressure, with potassium hydroxide (KOH) serving as a catalyst. [5] The process is highly exothermic (ΔH = -92 kJ/mol of ethylene oxide reacted) and requires careful control to avoid a potentially disastrous thermal runaway. [5]
Narrow-range ethoxylates (NREs) in chemistry are fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers with a narrow homolog distribution and are known nonionic surfactants.They can be produced industrially, for example, by the addition of ethylene oxide onto fatty alcohols in the presence of suitable catalysts (layer compounds which have been calcined or hydrophobized with fatty acids).
Dimethylaminoethoxyethanol is manufactured by reacting dimethylamine and ethylene oxide. [2] Other methods are also available producing streams rich in the substance which then need to be further purified. [3]
2-Ethoxyethanol is manufactured by the reaction of ethylene oxide with ethanol. As with other glycol ethers, 2-ethoxyethanol has the useful property of being able to dissolve chemically diverse compounds. It will dissolve oils, resins, grease, waxes, nitrocellulose, and lacquers. [3]
Several million tons of ethylene glycol are produced annually by the hydration of oxirane, a cyclic compound also known as ethylene oxide: C 2 H 4 O + H 2 O → HO–CH 2 CH 2 –OH. Acid catalysts are typically used. [2]
Ethylene oxide is a very hazardous substance. At room temperature it is a flammable, carcinogenic, mutagenic, irritating, and anaesthetic gas. It is used for making many consumer products as well as non-consumer chemicals and intermediates. These products include detergents, thickeners, solvents, plastics, and various organic chemicals. [9] [10]
The OMEGA process ("Only MEG Advantage") [1] is a chemical process discovered by the Shell Global Solutions company that is used to produce ethylene glycol from ethylene.This process comprises two steps, the controlled oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide, and the net hydrolysis of ethylene oxide to monoethylene glycol (MEG). [2]