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Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether
Tert-Butyl methyl ether, also known as MTBE or Methyl tert-butyl ether, is a clear, colorless liquid with a low viscosity that is combustible and has a distinct, turpentine-like odor. It is miscible with organic solvents, but only slightly soluble in water. Methyl tert-butyl ether is very stable under alkaline, neutral, and weakly acidic conditions. In the presence of strong acids, it is cleaved to methanol and isobutene. Depending on reaction conditions the latter can form isobutene oligomers.
- Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was primarily used as a gasoline additive in unleaded gasoline in the United States prior to 2005, in the manufacture of isobutene, and as a chromatographic eluent especially in high pressure liquid chromatography.
- It is also a pharmaceutical agent and can be injected into the gallbladder to dissolve gallstones (ATSDR, 1996). tert-Butyl methyl ether is also used in the petrochemical industry. By reversal of its formation reaction, MTBE can be cracked to isobutene and methanol on acidic catalysts at higher temperature than MTBE synthesis.tert-Butyl methyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive.
- MTBE undergoes oxidative degradation in the presence of propane-oxidizing bacterial strains. The kinetic studies of heat-assisted persulfate oxidation of MTBE under various parameters suggests that the reaction follows the pseudo-first-order kinetics.
- MTBE can be synthesized by acid catalyzed reaction between methanol and isobutene. It is an effective alternative to lead containing additives for enhancing the octane rating of gasoline. A study suggests that the addition of MTBE increases the number of active sites during polymerization of propene by stopped-flow method.
- tert-Butyl methyl ether may be used to synthesize fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and glycerol tert-butyl ether via transesterification with canola oil under supercritical conditions.
MTBE does not undergo autoxidation and, in contrast to other ethers, it does not form peroxides with atmospheric oxygen. It improves the antiknock properties when added to motor gasoline.ChEBI: Methyl tert-butyl ether is an ether having methyl and tert-butyl as the two alkyl components. It has a role as a non-polar solvent, a fuel additive and a metabolite.
| PRODUCT NAME | : | METHYLTERTBUTYLETHER |
| CAS number | : | 1634-04-4 |
| UN number | : | 2398 |
| Formula | : | (CH3)3COCH |
| Odour | : | |
| Solubility in water | : | SLIGHTLY |
| Density | : | 0.74 at OC |
| Boiling point | : | 55 OC |
| Melting point | : | -109 OC |
| Viscosity | : | |
| Flashpoint | : | -28 OC |
| Explosive limits | : | 2.0 – 15.1 Vol% |
| Vapour pressure | : | 230 mbar at 20 OC |
| Skin absorption/irritation | : | YES |
| TLV Country | : | |
| Pollution category 1994 | : | D |