Butyl Di Glycol

CAS: 112-34-5

Butyl di glycol also known as BDG, butyl dioxitol and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, is a colourless, clear liquid with a faint characteristic odour, and molecular formula C₈H₁₈O₃, CAS: 112-34-5. It has a flash point of 105 °C and a specific gravity of 0.955.

It is soluble in water and miscible with many common solvents, and also has low volatility and a high boiling point.  These are the factors that make butyl di glycol most useful in the paint industry.

Production

Butyl di glycol is one of the co-products formed when ethylene oxide is reacted with n-butanol using a catalyst.

Uses

Butyl di glycol is most commonly used in the coatings and paint industries where its low volatility and high boiling point have seen it widely accepted as a flow promoter for baking finishes such as melamine, urea, phenol, or epoxy resin composites.  It is also widely used in stove enamels as it has a high evaporation number which means that the enamel properties can be improved without it affecting the drying time.  It also has a role in air-drying paints as it increases “brushability”.

Butyl di glycol is also found in the printing industry where it is a solvent for printing inks, and is also a starting material in the production of butyl diglycol acetate.