Ethanolamine

• 2 -aminoethanol (IUPAC)
• Ethanolamine
• Aminoethanol
• Aminoethyl
• Colamine
• Olamine ( INN)

A colorless, oily liquid with ammonia- like odor

Liquid

1.02 g · cm -3 ( 20 ° C)

10 ° C.

172 ° C.

0.3 hPa (at 20 ° C)

Miscible with water and ethanol

From 1.452 to 1.456 (at 20 ° C)

Risk

2 ml · m -3 or 5.1 mg · m-3

1720 mg · kg -1 ( LD50, rat, oral)

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search available

Monoethanolamine ( MEA), also known as 2-aminoethanol, is a chemical compound selected from the group consisting of alcohols and amines is used as base material in the chemical industry.

Production

Industrially monoethanolamine from ethylene oxide and ammonia, is produced:

Depending on the precursor concentration (stoichiometry ) can thereby also arise diethanolamine and triethanolamine.

Properties

Monoethanolamine is a colorless oily hygroscopic and corrosive liquid with ammoniacal odor. It is miscible with water, and its aqueous solution is strongly alkaline.

Use

Monoethanolamine is used:

• As a substitute for caustic soda in oven cleaners
• As a cooling lubricant
• In the cellulose industry as an organic solvent
• In the dye industry
• As grinding aids for cement
• As an additive in detergents and cosmetics (fatty acid derivative for detergents )
• As an absorbent for carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in the amine scrubbing or in nuclear submarines
• An intermediate in the production of surfactants
• In Medicine

• Preparation of the salt of ethanolamine · HF, a hydro fluoride. This patented amine fluoride was formerly marketed as the active ingredient in toothpaste under the trade name Biox Fluor ® from Knoll AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
• As an intermediate for the preparation of other chemical compounds such as 2 - mercaptothiazole, phenylethanolamine and ethylenediamine.

Biological Significance

Monoethanolamine is the biogenic amine of the amino acid serine. Ethanolamines occur as polar head group in phosphatidylethanolamine, which belongs to the group of phospholipids. Phospholipids form substantially the lipid bilayer of cell membranes. Furthermore, these polar head group is also found in endocannabinoids.

Safety

Monoethanolamine is classified as a contact allergen. His Fumes can combine with air when the substance is heated above its flash point (flash point between 55 and 100 ° C, ignition temperature 410 ° C) to form an explosive mixture.

The effects of monoethanolamine on human health and the environment are tested under REACH in 2014 under substance evaluation by the United Kingdom.

Related compounds

• Diethanolamine
• Triethanolamine
• N- methylaminoethanol