Chemical and physical properties of Butyl acetate:

• Molecular Formula: C6H12O2 / CH3COO(CH2)3CH3
• Synonyms: Butyl acetate, n-Butyl ester of acetic acid, Butyl ethanoate, butyl ester 
• Cas Number: 123-86-4
• Molecular Mass: 116.60 g·mol−1
• Exact Mass: 116.08373 g/mol
• Viscosity: 0.5 cP (50 °C)
• Flashpoint: 72 °F / 22 °C
• Boiling Point: 259.7 °F / 126.1 °C
• Melting Point: −108 °F / −78 °C
• Vapor Pressure: 1.66 kPa (24 °C)
• Water Solubility: 0.68 g/100 mL (20 °C)
• Density: 0.88 kg/l at 20°C

The global butyl acetate market attained a value of USD 14.84 billion in 2020, driven by the growing use of automotive paints and water-based coatings. Aided by the rising R&D activities, the market is expected to witness a moderate growth in the forecast period of 2023-2028, growing at a CAGR of 3.8%.

The market growth of butyl acetate is supported by the significant demand from the Asia Pacific region in the recent years. Over the recent years, the Asia Pacific region has been a significant consumer of butyl acetate. Emerging countries such as China have a substantial market for the product owing to the rising use of automotive paints and coatings. China is also an important importer of butyl acetate, which makes its highly dependent on the exporting regions. North America and Europe are the major regions for the production and export of butyl acetate. Regions like the Middle East are expected to acquire a significant market share of the butyl acetate owing to the rising efforts by their governments to attract several petrochemical and chemical companies.

Butyl acetate has a variety of industry and consumer uses with its main end-user markets including paints/lacquers, coatings, cosmetics, leather, cleaning and the pharmaceutical industries.

• Industry uses

Normal butyl acetate’s most common industry use is in the production of lacquers and paints (due to its low volatility) as a solvent. Additionally, it has uses in the manufacturing of artificial leather, plastics adhesives and hardened coatings and topcoats. 

It is commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry as a solvent or an extraction agent for processing oils and coatings. Other industry uses include lubricants, intermediaries, fruit flouring and various additives.

• Consumer uses

Butyl acetate is found in several cosmetic products including as a flavouring solvent in perfumes, in fabrics and leather, in cleaning and care products for vehicles, air, and personal use and as an anticorrosive agent.

• Plastic drums
• New steel drums