MEK

MEK
Name	Methyl ethyl ketone
Othernames	2-Butanone; MEK (not linked)
Formula	C4H8O
Molar mass	72.11 g·mol−1
Appearance	Colorless liquid
Density	0.805 g·cm−3 (20 °C)
Bp	79.6 °C
Mp	−86 °C
Solubility	Miscible with many organic solvents; limited water solubility
Refractive index	1.380
CAS number	78-93-3

MEK

Methyl ethyl ketone is an organic solvent widely used in industrial and laboratory contexts. It is a volatile, flammable, polar aprotic ketone notable for its solvency and low boiling point. The compound appears across chemical manufacturing, coatings, adhesives, and laboratory solvent inventories.

Chemical identity and properties

Methyl ethyl ketone is an aliphatic ketone with the IUPAC name 2-butanone and the molecular formula C4H8O; it is isomeric with tert-Butanol derivatives and shares structural features with Acetone and Methyl isobutyl ketone. The compound has a moderate dipole moment and exhibits hydrogen-bond accepting ability similar to other ketones used in industrial processes such as Tetrahydrofuran and Dimethylformamide. Physical properties include a boiling point near 80 °C, vapor pressure comparable to Diethyl ether at ambient temperatures, and a flash point that classifies it as a flammable liquid under transport codes used by International Maritime Organization and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. Spectroscopic signatures include characteristic carbonyl stretching in infrared spectra, proton and carbon resonances in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy used by laboratories like NIST and university analytical facilities such as MIT and University of Cambridge.

Production and synthesis

Industrial production commonly proceeds by the oxidation of 2-butene or dehydrogenation of 2-butanol in processes operated by petrochemical companies such as Shell and ExxonMobil or chemical manufacturers like BASF and Dow Chemical Company. Catalytic pathways employ metal catalysts related to those developed in research from institutions such as Max Planck Society and ETH Zurich, using heterogeneous catalysts similar to those applied in processes for Benzene and Styrene. Alternative laboratory syntheses adapt classical organic reactions—oxidation of secondary alcohols by oxidants studied at Harvard University and Caltech or aldol condensation routes pioneered in 19th-century chemistry schools such as University of Göttingen—followed by purification via distillation techniques standardized by organizations like American Chemical Society.

Uses and applications

The solvent is deployed in formulations for coatings and paints marketed by firms such as AkzoNobel, PPG Industries, and Sherwin-Williams where fast evaporation and solvency for resins like those derived from Cellulose acetate are required. It serves as a precursor in organic synthesis toward intermediates used by pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and Roche and in production lines of specialty chemicals at DuPont. Applications extend to adhesives for aerospace suppliers that work with Boeing and Airbus, cleaning and degreasing in industrial facilities like those operated by General Electric, and as a solvent in printing inks for publishers and manufacturers such as Hearst Corporation and The New York Times Company printing operations. Laboratories at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London use it for chromatography and reactions where solvents such as Dichloromethane are also employed.

Health and safety

Exposure considerations are regulated by agencies such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health which set permissible exposure limits and recommend monitoring methods developed alongside industrial hygiene programs at companies like 3M. Personal protective equipment practices recommended by standards bodies such as American National Standards Institute apply when handling the liquid, including ventilation systems designed per guidelines published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fire and explosion hazards are addressed in codes from NFPA and transport classifications by United Nations model regulations; storage and handling guidance follow practices used in chemical facilities run by ExxonMobil and municipal fire departments modeled on protocols from London Fire Brigade.

Environmental impact and regulation

Releases to air and water are monitored under regulatory frameworks including those enforced by Environmental Protection Agency and European Chemicals Agency. Atmospheric oxidation pathways resemble those of other volatile organic compounds tracked by World Meteorological Organization research, contributing to photochemical smog formation similarly to compounds studied in urban air studies at University of California, Berkeley and ETH Zurich. Waste management and remediation strategies reference methods used in industrial cleanups conducted by contractors such as Bechtel and monitored at Superfund sites overseen by Environmental Protection Agency. Permitting for emissions and effluent limits aligns with statutes like those implemented by European Commission directives and national environmental ministries, using analytical monitoring techniques standardized by ISO and ASTM International.

Toxicology and medical relevance

Acute inhalation exposure effects have been characterized in toxicology studies performed at research centers including National Institutes of Health and university toxicology departments like Columbia University, noting central nervous system depression at high concentrations comparable to exposures associated with solvents documented in occupational medicine literature from Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic exposure assessments consider neurobehavioral outcomes and liver effects evaluated in longitudinal cohort studies conducted by agencies such as Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and academic epidemiology groups at Imperial College London. Clinical management of solvent exposure follows emergency medicine protocols taught at Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai Health System, emphasizing removal from exposure, supportive care, and monitoring for respiratory and neurologic sequelae.

Category:Ketones