2-Butoxy-1-propanol didn't burst onto the chemical scene in a blaze of fame, but that matches the quiet reliability the compound provides in manufacturing and cleaning today. Early on, producers and researchers sought a solvent less volatile than classic glycols, and 2-Butoxy-1-propanol emerged from this practical quest. Most of its story winds through sturdy industrial labs looking to solve real-world headaches like tough cleaning jobs, safer formulations, and longer-lasting coatings. Its development paralleled a boom in surface coatings, paint thinners, and specialty cleaning products in the late 20th century. By the 1980s, large chemical firms in the US and Europe settled on this compound for applications where its close cousin, butoxyethanol, wasn’t quite tough enough or missed the mark on evaporation rate.
2-Butoxy-1-propanol is not a household name for most people who use products cleaned or painted with it. This clear, colorless liquid brings a mild, almost floral odor to the workshop or factory floor. It dissolves a broad range of oils and greases with little fuss, which is how it found its niche. Any janitor fighting scuff marks or a factory worker prepping machinery will likely bump into 2-Butoxy-1-propanol in floor strippers or degreasers. You don’t find it in pure form on store shelves; it works as a team player in multi-ingredient blends.
2-Butoxy-1-propanol measures up as a standard glycol ether. Its chemical formula reads C7H16O2, and it clocks in at a molecular weight of around 132 g/mol. This compound brings a boiling point of about 169°C, staying liquid when things really heat up. It mixes easily with water and most organic solvents, showing off its ability to get along with paints, inks, adhesives, and detergents. Its moderate vapor pressure lowers risks of quick evaporation, but it isn’t so sticky and persistent that it causes problems for production lines or cleanups. If you’ve ever worked with alcohols or glycols, you know the challenges of materials that either evaporate too fast or not fast enough. 2-Butoxy-1-propanol splits the difference reliably.
On the label, you’ll see “2-Butoxy-1-propanol,” “propylene glycol butyl ether,” “1-Propanol, 2-butoxy-,” or just PGPE in technical bulletins. Regulatory and logistics paperwork list CAS Number 5131-66-8. Most commercial batches guarantee a purity above 98%, and typical residual water content falls below 0.1%. Labels warn of flammability and potential skin and eye irritation; safety icons matter for warehouses and transport. Chemists checking a supplier’s specification sheet scan for color (often APHA less than 20), specific gravity near 0.88-0.90 at 20°C, and distillation range. Every tank shipment or drum shows batch numbers and hazard symbols—real reminders that handling always ties back to lab-tested standards.
Producers craft 2-Butoxy-1-propanol mainly through the reaction of butanol with propylene oxide under controlled pressure and temperature. This process requires a strong technical hand since temperature swings or trace impurities cause off-spec product and headaches downstream. The typical plant uses reactors lined with corrosion-resistant metals. Even small tweaks to catalyst choice and process sequence have changed the product’s footprint across decades. Some specialty grades turn up from alternative routes, but most factories stick with the tried-and-true method to keep costs steady and output predictable. The real world rewards repeatability over novelty here; process engineers learn the quirks and keep the lines running.
2-Butoxy-1-propanol acts as a solvent and a chemical building block. Reacting with strong acids forms corresponding ethers or esters that behave differently in adhesives or inks. Many producers also push it into propoxy-terminated polyethers for flexible coatings or as part of surfactant backbones. If you add a dehydrating agent, you coax out propylene oxide; if you use oxidation, you shift toward aldehydes and acids useful in more specialized industrial chemistries. Custom modifications keep showing up as paint chemistry and cleaning product formulations push for ever-safer, yet still effective, ingredients. Research often circles back to tweaking functional groups on this backbone to test for improved cleaning strength or reduced environmental impacts.
Walk through supplier catalogs and you see a handful of names for the same jug. Besides 2-Butoxy-1-propanol, it pops up as propylene glycol monobutyl ether, PnB (propylene n-butyl ether), and various ISO registry names. Some trade brands blend it with similar glycol ethers and badge the product with catchy, commercial titles. It’s worth cross-checking the label and Material Safety Data Sheet, since labeling quirks confuse even seasoned procurement teams. Chemical storage lists and emergency plans use standardized names for clarity, Lest a safety call or process audit go sideways due to miscommunication.
Workers respect this compound’s pungent odor for good reason—skin or eye contact stings, and vapors can irritate airways. Most plants require gloves and goggles around drums or mixing tanks, even for short jobs. OSHA and EU regulations set workplace exposure limits for glycol ethers, including permissible concentrations in the breathing zone. Emergency protocols spell out steps for accidental spills, focusing on containment and ventilation. Transport standards from the Department of Transportation and international regulators call for flammable liquid signage, tightly sealed drums, and fire safety checks. Even storage comes with rules: cool, well-ventilated areas away from strong oxidizers. Over years spent troubleshooting process upsets, minor safety shortcuts produced close calls; even seasoned teams stay sharp on handling procedures.
Factories, workshops, and even some high-tech labs turn to 2-Butoxy-1-propanol for its versatility. It delivers as a solvent for paints, hard-surface cleaners, degreasers, inks, and even hydraulic fluids. Paint shops need something that will lift grease but won’t flash off before it does the job, and here 2-Butoxy-1-propanol fits perfectly. Commercial cleaners working on linoleum, tile, and sealed wood floors lean on it for scuff removal and deep cleaning. In printing, it helps control viscosity and drying time. Electronics assembly lines sometimes use it to clean delicate parts where stronger solvents would attack sensitive materials. This compound also finds its way into formulations meant for environmental cleaning and graffiti removal where city crews trust its effectiveness over more aggressive, high-toxicity solvents.
Chemists and product formulators treat 2-Butoxy-1-propanol as both an ingredient and a test case for greener, less hazardous alternatives. Laboratories push to identify new glycol ethers that offer similar solvency but with better safety margins or lower environmental persistence. Some research heads toward bio-based alternatives, aiming to carve out the fossil-fuel dependence still tied to most glycol ether manufacturing. Application research targets optimizing use-levels—balancing the right amount of cleaning blast against safety and environmental requirements. Experience in pilot projects shows real progress when end users and R&D teams collaborate closely on product trials rather than just swapping spreadsheets of lab data.
Much of the early confidence around 2-Butoxy-1-propanol leaned on its structural similarity to better-known glycol ethers, but ongoing research keeps poking at its long-term toxicity. Animal testing flagged the compound as an irritant and raised early questions about chronic exposure risks for workers using it day in and day out. More recent studies track absorption through skin and lungs, along with breakdown pathways inside the body. Regulatory agencies in the US, Europe, and Asia keep the spotlight on glycol ethers, especially for reproductive and developmental effects. In labs, scientists run in vitro and in vivo studies to probe outcomes like liver or kidney stress, and environmental scientists check persistence in wastewater. For those working with the chemical, toxicity isn’t just an academic point. Worker training, medical surveillance, and good hygiene practices anchor every responsible operation.
Tightening safety rules and growing demand for safer, greener products shape the future of glycol ethers like 2-Butoxy-1-propanol. On the supply side, companies look at ways to cut process waste and source feedstocks more sustainably. Startups hunt ways to swap out petroleum-based routes with biobased feedstocks, betting consumer brands and institutional buyers will pay a premium for safer cleaners and coatings with a clear environmental pedigree. Efficiency pressure also points toward using just enough solvent to get the job done; smart blending and additive packages help stretch performance further. Ongoing concern about worker safety and environmental persistence speeds up regulatory reviews—and drives the search for alternatives that match cleaning or coating performance without the risk. Having handled product transitions in factories, nothing spurs innovation as much as a new regulation or a customer demanding a safer product. As market forces and science push together, the next generation of cleaning and coating ingredients will draw lessons from mainstays like 2-Butoxy-1-propanol but demand something even better.
Most folks don’t think twice about what goes into their cleaning products. Flip over a bottle of floor cleaner or glass spray, though, and you might catch a glimpse of a name like 2-butoxy-1-propanol. This chemical sounds intimidating, but it’s a workhorse ingredient that shows up all over the place. I’ve seen it lurking in products under the sink, and in many of those strong-smelling formulas janitors push down school hallways.
Every time greasy fingerprints or food splatters vanish from my kitchen counter, there’s a good chance solvents like 2-butoxy-1-propanol help along the way. This chemical acts as a solvent, which means it can dissolve grease, oil, and even some sticky residues other cleaners leave behind. It’s mixed into all-purpose sprays, degreasers, and some window cleaners you find in grocery stores. Without solvents like this, most household cleaners would fall flat against stubborn grime.
On job sites or in factories, things get heavier. Painters, machinists, and auto workers count on strong cleaners to wipe away industrial gunk. Shops use 2-butoxy-1-propanol in specialized degreasers for engines and metal parts. Paint companies blend it into water-based paints so that the paint spreads smoother and dries more evenly, especially on tricky surfaces. As someone who’s helped family fix up rental properties, I’ve noticed that paints with effective solvents make walls look better and hold up longer—less peeling, fewer streaks.
Manufacturers like 2-butoxy-1-propanol for its ability to mix easily into water and kick through dirt or oil without leaving residue behind. It does a better job than a lot of other solvents at breaking up tough stains, and it can work at lower concentrations, so a little goes a long way. With prices for raw materials climbing, companies keep a close eye on what cleans well without costing too much. It earned a place in the cleaning lineup thanks to that efficiency.
Lots of these strong cleaning agents come with warnings for a reason. 2-butoxy-1-propanol can irritate skin and eyes. If you’re spraying down counters every day or working all day in an auto shop, that’s something to watch. I know a few janitors and mechanics who’ve picked up gloves and goggles after rashes or stinging eyes. Regulatory groups have flagged certain glycol ethers—chemicals like this one—for possible health risks if people breathe high amounts or have a lot of skin exposure. Kids and folks with asthma can be more sensitive, so the label advice matters.
There is a growing push for safer alternatives. Some companies turn to bio-based solvents or cut the harshest chemicals out of their products. These newer formulas can work well, although not every “green” label lives up to its promise. In my own home, I check for proper ventilation, use gloves, and never mix products together. For industries, better safety gear, clear training, and swapping in safer compounds go a long way toward protecting workers and families. As customers and manufacturers wake up to health concerns, 2-butoxy-1-propanol’s role may shift, but for now it sticks around as a silent partner in tackling tough messes.
Spotting a long chemical name in your cleaning product can throw most folks for a loop. 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol, for example, doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it often shows up in degreasers, adhesives, and home-use cleaners. Every so often, someone rings the alarm about chemicals and toxins hiding at home or work. It’s better to talk about what this compound does and how people can use it safely.
2-Butoxy-1-Propanol is a solvent. Manufacturers like it for breaking up oily grime and mixing things together. Its cousin, 2-butoxyethanol, has caught more attention for possible health risks, so folks sometimes lump them together. Still, these are not identical twins—a fact that’s easy to overlook. A solvent might sound like trouble, but this one rarely ends up on the top ten most toxic lists.
The flipside is, just because something’s not the most toxic, doesn’t make it harmless. Solvents do what they do by loosening stains and dissolving grease, a job that’s hard on living tissue too. Getting it on your skin a few times while mopping might just cause dryness or mild irritation, but breathing in a concentrated cloud or letting it sit on your skin too long can open the door to headaches, nausea, and in some rare workplace exposures, nervous system issues.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Chemicals Agency both keep an eye on chemicals like this one. There’s plenty of peer-reviewed research into solvents, and while 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol doesn’t come with a skull-and-crossbones sticker, the science still advises caution. It doesn’t appear on the California Prop 65 list. Rats exposed at high doses in labs showed some changes in liver weights but not the same level of blood or red cell damage seen with other glycol ethers.
Most healthy adults don’t face real danger using a cleaner with this ingredient now and then in a well-ventilated space. It’s heavy workplace use, especially with poor ventilation or without gloves, where you start running into problems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sets exposure limits for a reason: Some people have jobs where exposure isn’t just an occasional splash or waft, but a daily occurrence.
At home, plenty of folks like switching to soap, water, and elbow grease, and you can keep stronger stuff for big, tough stains. If 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol pops up on your bottle, some basics help: open a window, put on rubber gloves, and don’t mix cleaning products unless the label says it’s okay. Quick cleanups using a damp cloth, not bare hands, will save your skin. It’s small habits that chip away at risk without needing a science degree.
In work settings, safety grows from good habits—using gloves and masks, washing up after a spill, and knowing the right way to report overexposure. Factory or warehouse managers have a larger job. Proper ventilation and routine training on chemical hazards mean fewer costly accidents or health problems that bite years down the line.
Skepticism toward long chemical names has its place. Companies, regulators, and shoppers all have a role in staying alert. 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol isn’t poison in a bottle, yet brushing off a safety label can turn a mild irritant into something much more serious. A little common sense—reading instructions, gearing up, keeping air flowing—go a long way.
People in manufacturing love to find solvents that get the job done without too many headaches. 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol checks those boxes in cleaning products and paints, but it's one of those chemicals that punishes carelessness. Letting this solvent sit open in a regular storeroom tells me someone’s either gambling with safety or hasn’t looked at a Safety Data Sheet in years.
I’ve walked into back rooms where half-used containers go uncapped and the stuff inside grabs hold of the air. Sooner or later, fumes drift out, and no one enjoys headaches on the clock. Over time, vapor build-up brings bigger trouble—a spark or hot work nearby sets the stage for a trip to the ER or worse. Quite a few facilities faced expensive cleanups after neglecting to ventilate where solvents lived together.
Humid summers bring another wrinkle. Water in the air sneaks into barrels, making the liquid murky or unpredictable. One batch of cleaning solution can suddenly turn streaky or separate because of sloppy seals. Smart operators keep drums tightly closed and out of the sun, with enough airflow in the room to send stray vapors outside instead of into your lungs.
A lot of injuries stack up over simple mistakes. Someone grabs a container missing its label, thinks it’s water, and ends up soaked in solvent. Skin contact with this stuff stings and dries out your hands fast, and if it gets in your eyes, you’ll be calling for rinsing stations in a hurry. It’s not just about protecting yourself—OSHA fines rack up when an inspector finds mystery liquids on open shelves. In my own work, a sharpie and a roll of labels protects everyone down the line.
Every factory has that one storeroom that feels like a sauna in the summer and a fridge in the winter. Fluctuations beat up on chemical stability. 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol stays happiest between 15°C and 30°C. Too much heat sends vapors racing for the rafters; cold turns it sluggish. Cramming containers in a steamy shipping container outdoors shortens shelf life and leads to dangerous pressure build-up. That means workers need better habits, not just automated alarms—putting solvents in well-ventilated, cool places, far from open flames, is just common sense.
In my manufacturing days, posters about glove safety didn’t cut it—new hires learned best by seeing proper handling up close. Carrying these solvents with gloves and goggles wasn’t optional. Once in a while, we ran drills for spills with real containers (water, for safety practice). This worked better than any training video; people remembered what to do because they had to do it for real.
Easy wins still beat high-tech fixes. Regular walkthroughs, asking staff to spot leaks or bad practices, keeps everyone safer and stops waste. Installing good ventilation costs a lot less than funding major cleanup work or exposing people to unhealthy air. Shared knowledge—like why a sealed drum goes in that particular spot—keeps chemicals on the shelves and emergencies out of the headlines.
2-Butoxy-1-propanol often pops up in conversations about cleaning products and industrial solvents. Folks in the lab sometimes call it propylene glycol butyl ether, but anyone who’s wrestled with stubborn grease stains or dealt with heavy-duty cleansers has probably come across this chemical, even if the label hides it behind a long name. The big question I see isn’t really about how pronounceable the name is, but if it plays nice with water. Spoiler: it does measure up as water soluble, and that’s a big deal for how we use it every day.
Let’s talk about practicality. Solubility isn’t some abstract science class metric. If you’re using a floor cleaner or degreaser, you want that stuff to mix, not separate like cheap salad dressing. Water-soluble chemicals make for better cleaners because they blend smoothly with water. According to studies and product datasheets, 2-butoxy-1-propanol dissolves in water at a range of common temperatures. That fits with my own experience tackling oil stains on shop rags—the clear, even mixture cuts through grime because the chemical stays mixed with water.
Factories and janitors rely on solvents that blend in water. Imagine mopping an office with a bucket where the cleaner pools at the bottom, never fully mixing. That doesn’t just waste product, it leaves residue on surfaces. I’ve worked with concentrates needing dilution, and you can tell straight away which blend well just by stirring. If it clumps up or floats in streaks, it’s a pain. 2-butoxy-1-propanol doesn’t do that; it dissolves reliably, just like you want for mopping, scrubbing, or even some paint stripping jobs.
Industry safety guides, like those from the European Chemicals Agency, often list water solubility as a key property, and 2-butoxy-1-propanol shows values around 56-100 grams per liter at room temperature. That stands out compared to some hydrocarbon solvents that barely budge in water, which then require extra handling and disposal.
Here’s the tricky side—the fact that something is water soluble isn’t always good news for everyone. Runoff from factories, or just rinsing out a mop bucket, can put more solvent into lakes and rivers compared to chemicals that stick to soils or break down faster. I remember reading EPA reports on groundwater contamination; water-soluble chemicals often move faster and farther underground, ending up in wells and local streams. Already, some regions argue over safe limits for similar glycol ethers in tap water.
With that in mind, companies have to step up their game. Using closed-loop water systems or filtration keeps things on site instead of flushing solvents down the drain. City water treatment plants have started screening for glycol ethers, too. People working hands-on with such cleaners should check labels and wear gloves, since skin absorbs these chemicals pretty easily.
I’ve learned to check safety data sheets for what’s inside a product. The more we know about what mixes in water, the easier it gets to pick an effective cleaner that also carries less risk for skin, groundwater, or wildlife. Retailers could do a better job flagging which chemicals dissolve easily and providing disposal tips. It makes sense for consumers to ask more questions about ingredient lists—water solubility isn’t just a technical detail; it mixes right into the choices we make at work and at home.
2-Butoxy-1-propanol pops up now and then in paint shops and industrial cleaning, but most folks don’t realize what’s in their hands or under their noses during a busy workday. With its long name, it sounds like something only chemists worry about, but people using it on the job ought to know exactly what they’re mixing or spraying. If you’ve ever seen clear liquid with a faint, almost sweet smell drifting through a warehouse, you might have gotten close.
It looks like just another colorless liquid, until you pour it and notice it slides thicker than water. 2-Butoxy-1-propanol isn’t syrupy, just a little more viscous—hands get slippery fast if you spill a drop. It almost smells pleasant before you realize your throat feels odd after a few breaths. Some say it’s like faint fruit, but chemical undertones linger, so ventilation matters. Its modest boiling point—right around 171°C—tells you this stuff isn’t jetting into the air at room temperature, but give it some heat, and vapor builds fast.
One of the features people look for in industrial solvents is how easily they blend with water and other liquids, and 2-butoxy-1-propanol goes along pretty well with water, grease, and other solvents, like alcohols. This quality makes it handy for breaking up greasy messes or as part of paint-removing mixes. Unlike some harsh cleaners, though, it doesn’t fry your skin at first touch, though frequent exposure leaves hands dried out or even irritated for sensitive types.
Chemically, it plays nice under a range of typical shop temperatures and pressures, so you won't find it erupting or breaking down unless you push it to extremes. Still, it’s flammable—910 mg/L of vapor in the air could catch fire given an ignition spark. The flash point, just above 66°C, puts it on the safe side for transport, but tough enough that open flames and hot equipment in the same workspace should be watched closely. It prefers to avoid highly oxidizing agents—mix those and you might see unpredictable reactions, something no one wants in a crowded warehouse.
Having worked with heavy-duty cleaners in both auto and construction, I see how folks skip gloves or masks without thinking about the long-term. 2-Butoxy-1-propanol doesn’t sting on contact, which tricks people into thinking it’s harmless. I learned early from older mechanics that symptoms from these chemicals creep up after months—headaches, dry skin, even dizziness on bad ventilation days.
Companies have started adding safety info to labels, but the excitement of getting a job done often outweighs a careful read. Knowing the properties—boiling point, flammability, solubility—should shape how we handle and store it. Simple things: open doors or turn on fans, use gloves, don’t mix it with unknown chemicals sitting on a dusty shelf. It takes more than just a material safety sheet to keep folks protected.
From what I’ve seen, training matters far more than a locked cabinet or occasional inspection. Bringing in short hands-on lessons every few months, walking people through symptoms to look for, shows commitment to safety—not just compliance. Workers remember real stories and personal impacts. Updates on replacement solvents with less toxicity, paired with feedback from guys actually using the stuff, would keep both health and productivity in check.
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | 1-butoxypropan-2-ol |
| Other names |
Propylene glycol butyl ether PGBE 1-Butoxy-2-propanol Propylene glycol monobutyl ether Butoxypropanol |
| Pronunciation | /tuː-ˈbjuːtɒksi-wʌn-proʊˌpænɒl/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | 15821-83-7 |
| Beilstein Reference | 626458 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:76870 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL259998 |
| ChemSpider | 77373 |
| DrugBank | DB02260 |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.036.098 |
| EC Number | 603-177-00-8 |
| Gmelin Reference | 83444 |
| KEGG | C19582 |
| MeSH | D018172 |
| PubChem CID | 6561 |
| RTECS number | UC6476000 |
| UNII | 5Y4PC8B0FB |
| UN number | UN1993 |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | DTXSID2036749 |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C7H16O2 |
| Molar mass | Molar mass: 132.20 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colorless liquid |
| Odor | mild ether-like |
| Density | 0.889 g/cm3 |
| Solubility in water | miscible |
| log P | 0.8 |
| Vapor pressure | 0.06 mmHg (20 °C) |
| Acidity (pKa) | 15.1 |
| Basicity (pKb) | 15.27 |
| Magnetic susceptibility (χ) | -63.4·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.410 |
| Viscosity | 2.90 mPa·s at 20°C |
| Dipole moment | 2.51 D |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 319.2 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹ |
| Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) | -453.0 kJ/mol |
| Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) | -4281 kJ/mol |
| Pharmacology | |
| ATC code | D01AE25 |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling | GHS02, GHS07 |
| Pictograms | GHS07, GHS08 |
| Signal word | Warning |
| Hazard statements | H226, H315, H319 |
| Precautionary statements | P210, P233, P280, P305+P351+P338, P337+P313, P403+P235 |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol: 2-1-0 |
| Flash point | 74°C |
| Autoignition temperature | 230 °C |
| Explosive limits | 1.4-10.6% |
| Lethal dose or concentration | LD50 (oral, rat): 3089 mg/kg |
| LD50 (median dose) | LD50 (median dose) of 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol: Oral rat LD50 = 1900 mg/kg |
| NIOSH | US0825000 |
| PEL (Permissible) | PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) of 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol: Not established |
| REL (Recommended) | REL (Recommended Exposure Limit) for 2-Butoxy-1-Propanol is: "5 ppm (33 mg/m³) TWA |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
2-Butoxyethanol 1-Butoxy-2-propanol Propylene glycol Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether |
