Ethyl Acetate
The solvent everything else is being replaced by. Low toxicity, a pleasant smell, an ICH Class 3 classification and a food additive listing — it wins on regulation as much as on performance.
Molecular Structure
What is Ethyl Acetate?
Ethyl acetate is the ester of acetic acid and ethanol. It has moderate polarity, dissolves nitrocellulose, acrylics, vinyls and many natural resins, evaporates quickly and cleanly, and smells of pear drops rather than of solvent. It occurs naturally in fruit and in fermented drinks, which is a large part of why its regulatory position is so favourable.
That position is what is driving its growth. It is an ICH Class 3 residual solvent — the lowest toxicological concern class, with generous permitted residue limits — it holds food additive and flavouring approvals, and it is not classified for chronic health effects. Formulators replacing MEK, toluene or NMP under regulatory pressure land on ethyl acetate more often than on anything else.
It is made by Fischer esterification of acetic acid with ethanol, by the Tishchenko dimerisation of acetaldehyde, or by direct addition of ethylene to acetic acid. A growing volume is made by dehydrogenating bioethanol, which gives a chemically identical product with a bio-based carbon content that some customers now specify.
Ethyl acetate hydrolyses back to ethanol and acetic acid in the presence of water, and acid or base accelerates it. Rising acidity on a stored lot is not a sign of contamination but of the solvent slowly reverting, and it is the most common reason material that shipped on specification fails on receipt.
Quick Reference
Key Physical & Chemical Properties
Structure & Bonding
An acetate ester carrying an ethyl group. The ester linkage gives moderate polarity and good solvency for a wide range of resins, and it is also the bond that water slowly reverses — the one chemical vulnerability of an otherwise unreactive solvent.
Skeletal structure — acetate ester of ethanol
Structural Identity
- IUPAC NameEthyl acetate
- Common namesEtAc, acetic ether, ethyl ethanoate
- Molecular FormulaC₄H₈O₂
- Molecular Weight88.11 g/mol
- Functional groupCarboxylic ester
- Occurs naturallyIn fruit and fermented beverages
- Regulatory statusICH Class 3; food additive approved
- Key vulnerabilityHydrolysis back to ethanol and acetic acid
- Made fromAcetic acid + ethanol; also bio-ethanol route
- CAS Number141-78-6
- InChI KeyXEKOWRVHYACXOJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Product Specifications
Chelora supplies Ethyl Acetate in standard and custom grades. Contact us for specification sheets tailored to your process.
| Chemical name | Ethyl acetate |
|---|---|
| CAS Number | 141-78-6 |
| Molecular formula | C₄H₈O₂ |
| Molecular weight | 88.11 g/mol |
| Purity (min) | ≥ 99.50 wt%; ≥ 99.8% for pharma and food grades |
| Water (max) | ≤ 0.10 wt%; ≤ 0.05% for pharma grade (Karl Fischer) |
| Acidity as acetic acid (max) | ≤ 0.005 wt% |
| Colour (max) | ≤ 10 Pt-Co (Hazen) |
| Specific gravity | 0.898 – 0.902 at 20/20 °C |
| Distillation range | 76.0 – 78.0 °C |
| Non-volatile residue (max) | ≤ 5 ppm wt |
| Ethanol (max) | ≤ 0.10 wt% |
| Methanol (max) | ≤ 0.05 wt% |
| Acetaldehyde (max) | ≤ 0.005 wt% |
| Odour | Characteristic fruity, non-residual |
| Bio-based carbon content | Declared where a bio-route grade is supplied |
| Flash point | −4 °C (closed cup) |
| Autoignition temperature | 426 °C |
| Flammable limits | 2.0 – 11.5% v/v in air |
| Transport classification | UN 1173, Class 3, PG II |
Downstream Applications & Derivatives
Key derivative chains and industrial uses of Ethyl Acetate.
Printing Inks
The dominant solvent in flexographic and gravure inks, especially for food packaging lamination where the residual solvent limits are strict and odour transfer is unacceptable.
Coatings & Thinners
Nitrocellulose lacquers, wood finishes, automotive refinish and general thinner blends, where clean evaporation and good resin solvency are needed together.
Adhesives
Laminating and pressure-sensitive adhesives, particularly in flexible packaging converting, where the solvent must leave no odour behind.
Pharmaceutical Processing
Crystallisation, granulation and API isolation. Its ICH Class 3 status gives it far more generous residue limits than most alternatives, which simplifies validation.
Coffee Decaffeination
One of the two solvent routes to decaffeinated coffee and tea. Because ethyl acetate occurs in fruit, coffee decaffeinated this way is often labelled naturally decaffeinated.
Cosmetics & Personal Care
Nail polish and remover, and fragrance and cosmetic formulation, where low toxicity and pleasant odour both matter for a consumer product.
Why source Ethyl Acetate through Chelora Petrochem?
Verified Origin
Full origin certification and asset-backed supply chain documentation — no grey-market supply.
Grade Flexibility
Technical, food and pharmacopoeial grades supplied, including bio-based material with declared renewable carbon content. We certify water and acidity together, since those two figures predict shelf stability.
Full Documentation
CoA, SDS, UN 1173 transport documents, REACH compliance, food-contact and pharmacopoeial documentation, and bio-based content certification where applicable.
Logistics Support
Experienced in flammable solvent logistics — dedicated road tankers and ISO tanks with bonding and earthing, plus drums and IBCs, with segregation for food and pharmaceutical grades, for Indian and international delivery.
Storage & Handling Guidelines
Always refer to the full SDS before handling. The following is a summary of key requirements.
- Keep water out. Ethyl acetate hydrolyses slowly to ethanol and acetic acid in the presence of moisture, and the reaction accelerates as the acidity it produces catalyses further hydrolysis.
- Store in dry, sealed systems under nitrogen where practical, and keep containers closed. Moisture ingress in storage is the single most common cause of a specification failure on receipt.
- Avoid contact with acids and bases. Both catalyse hydrolysis, and strong bases saponify the ester rapidly and exothermically.
- Test acidity as well as water on incoming material held any length of time. Rising acidity indicates the ester is reverting, and once started the process continues.
- Treat all transfers as a static ignition hazard. Flash point is −4 °C, so ignitable vapour is present at every normal ambient temperature — bond and earth all connections and avoid splash filling.
- Ventilate to keep vapour below the lower flammable limit of 2.0% rather than merely below the exposure limit, and classify the area for electrical equipment.
- Exclude strong oxidisers, and keep away from nitrates and peroxides.
- Segregate food and pharmacopoeial grades with dedicated hoses, pumps and storage. The distinguishing specifications are trace-level, and cross-contamination is not recoverable.
- Provide eyewash and safety showers, use non-sparking tools, and check hose and gasket compatibility — ethyl acetate attacks some elastomers that tolerate alcohols.
Hazard Summary
Classification: Flam. Liq. 2 (H225), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), STOT SE 3 (H336, may cause drowsiness or dizziness). Ethyl acetate is not classified as a carcinogen, mutagen or reproductive toxicant, and it is an ICH Class 3 residual solvent — the lowest toxicological concern category.
Flammability is the dominant hazard: the health profile is benign but the flash point of −4 °C means ignitable vapour is present at all ambient temperatures, with a flammable range of 2.0 to 11.5%. Vapour is heavier than air and accumulates at low level. Most ethyl acetate incidents are fires, not exposures.
Hydrolysis: the ester reverts to ethanol and acetic acid in the presence of water, and the acetic acid formed catalyses further hydrolysis, so the process is self-accelerating once established. This is a quality and shelf-life issue rather than a safety one, but it is the characteristic failure mode of the product.
Odour is not a reliable warning: ethyl acetate has a pleasant fruity smell detectable at very low concentration, which gives good early warning but also leads to olfactory fatigue. Odour should not be used as an exposure control.
Health: irritating to the eyes and, at high concentration, to the respiratory tract, with drowsiness and dizziness on significant vapour exposure. Repeated skin contact defats the skin and causes dermatitis.
Incompatibilities: strong oxidisers, strong acids and strong bases. Alkali contact saponifies the ester rapidly and releases heat.
Materials compatibility: ethyl acetate attacks several elastomers and plastics that tolerate alcohols. Confirm compatibility for hoses, gaskets and liners rather than assuming general solvent-service parts will do.
PPE minimum: chemical goggles, resistant gloves, antistatic clothing and footwear at transfer points, with respiratory protection where ventilation cannot control vapour.
Consult the full SDS for exposure limits, spill containment, emergency response and disposal before any use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical and commercial questions about Ethyl Acetate sourcing and specifications.
What is ethyl acetate used for?
Printing inks are the largest outlet, particularly flexographic and gravure inks for food packaging lamination where residual solvent limits and odour transfer both matter. Coatings and thinners take a large share, especially nitrocellulose systems. Beyond those, ethyl acetate goes into laminating and pressure-sensitive adhesives, pharmaceutical crystallisation and granulation, coffee and tea decaffeination, and cosmetics including nail polish and remover.
Why is ethyl acetate replacing other solvents?
Because the regulatory pressure on the alternatives keeps increasing while ethyl acetate's own position stays comfortable. It is an ICH Class 3 residual solvent, meaning the lowest toxicological concern and permitted daily exposure limits an order of magnitude more generous than Class 2 solvents. It holds food additive and flavouring approvals. It is not classified as a carcinogen or reproductive toxicant. As MEK, toluene, methylene chloride and NMP have each come under restriction in one market or another, formulators reworking those recipes have generally landed on ethyl acetate, sometimes with a slower-evaporating ester alongside it.
Why does water content matter so much?
Because it reverses the reaction that made the product. Ethyl acetate is an ester formed from acetic acid and ethanol, and in the presence of water that equilibrium runs backwards, hydrolysing the ester and producing acetic acid and ethanol. The acetic acid then catalyses further hydrolysis, so the process accelerates itself once it has begun. The practical consequence is that water and acidity are linked specifications and should be read together: a lot with slightly elevated water and slightly elevated acidity is not marginally off-specification, it is actively degrading. Dry, sealed storage is the control.
Is ethyl acetate really used to decaffeinate coffee?
Yes, and it is one of the two main solvent routes. Green coffee beans are steamed to open the cell structure, then repeatedly rinsed with ethyl acetate, which selectively removes caffeine while leaving most of the flavour compounds behind. The beans are then steamed again to drive off residual solvent before roasting, and roasting removes essentially all of the remainder. Because ethyl acetate occurs naturally in fruit and in fermented products, coffee decaffeinated this way is frequently marketed as naturally decaffeinated — the solvent used industrially is normally synthetic, but the compound itself is one that occurs in nature.
What is the difference between technical and pharmacopoeial grade?
The assay is often similar, so the distinction is in the impurity profile and the manufacturing controls. Pharmacopoeial grade is tested against the USP or EP monograph, which adds identification tests and specific limits on water, acidity, non-volatile residue, ethanol, methanol and acetaldehyde. Just as importantly, it must be produced, stored and transported under conditions preventing cross-contamination, which in practice means dedicated equipment and documented cleaning. Food grade sits alongside, tested against food additive purity criteria. Since ethyl acetate is ICH Class 3, its permitted residue level in a finished drug product is comparatively generous, which is precisely why it is attractive for pharmaceutical processing.
What documentation does Chelora provide?
Every shipment includes a Certificate of Analysis covering purity, water, acidity, colour, specific gravity, distillation range, non-volatile residue, ethanol, methanol and acetaldehyde; a Safety Data Sheet to GHS and REACH format; UN 1173 Class 3 dangerous goods documentation; food-contact and pharmacopoeial documentation where the grade requires it; bio-based carbon content certification for bio-route material; an origin certificate; and destination-market certificates where required.
Request a quote or specification sheet
Talk to Chelora's sourcing team about Ethyl Acetate grade, volume, logistics, documentation, and lead times. We respond within one business day.
