Ethylbenzene

• Ethylbenzene (IUPAC)
• Phenylethan

Colorless liquid

Liquid

0.87 g · cm -3

-95 ° C

136 ° C

10 hPa ( 20 ° C)

Sparingly soluble in water: 140 mg · l-1 (20 ° C)

1.49594 (20 ° C)

Risk

100 ml · m-3, 440 mg · m-3

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search available

Ethylbenzene ( ethylbenzene, phenylethan ) is a colorless, benzene similar smelling liquid. It is an aromatic hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C8H10.

Representation

Ethylbenzene is produced in the industry for a catalyst of alkylation of benzene with ethylene, in this case there is the liquid-phase alkylation and vapor phase alkylation. Very little ethylbenzene is isolated on fine fractionation of C8 aromatic fraction. This method is also called the super group, but is not competitive with the alkylation.

Ethylbenzene in the laboratory can be prepared by Wolff-Kishner reaction of acetophenone.

Properties

Ethylbenzene is a colorless, similar benzene -smelling liquid with a melting point of -95 ° C and a boiling point of 136 ° C. At this temperature, the heat of vaporization of 35.57 kJ / mol.

However, it is insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents.

Metabolism

In the body of the ethyl radical of the ethylbenzene is oxidized. Intermediates in metabolism are phenylacetic acid and 1- phenylethanol ( methylphenylcarbinol ), the final product is mandelic acid, which is sufficiently water soluble to be excreted in the urine.

Safety characteristics

Ethylbenzene is considered flammable liquid. Above the flash point is flammable vapor-air mixtures may be formed. The compound has a flash point of 23 ° C. The explosion range is between 1 vol % (43 g/m3) as the lower explosive limit ( LEL) and 7.8 % by volume (340 g/m3 ) and upper explosive limit (UEL ). The ignition temperature is 430 ° C. The fabric falls within the temperature class T2. It is classified as harmful.

Use

Ethylbenzene is added to gasoline to increase the octane number ( knocking strength). It is a solvent for paints and can be found in plastics. It is an important starting material for the synthesis of styrene. In addition to the benzene and toluene, ethylbenzene, is one of the industrially important aromatic compounds, the so-called BTEX aromatics.