Triethylene Glycol Butyl Ether shows up on chemical lists under the formula C10H22O4. This clear, colorless liquid finds its main crowd in the chemical and cleaning industries. The molecular weight lands around 206.28 g/mol, giving it enough heft for certain specialized uses. In the lab or on a warehouse shelf, bottles show a specific gravity close to 0.98–1.0. Distillation pans read about 285-292°C for boiling points, which points toward a high flash and a reliable stability under pressure.
Draw a sample into a vial and you’ll notice a faint odor, like ether but softened by a glossy, slightly sweet note. Pour some in a beaker and it rolls out in a viscous, syrup-like flow, running thicker than water but far lighter than glycerin. The density sits just under that of water—between 0.98 and 0.99 g/cm³ at 20°C—so it floats a touch, but not enough to separate itself in most mixtures. Crystals, flakes, powder, or pearls do not occur naturally for this material at room temperature; only as a stable, homogenous liquid does it work well for most applications.
Solubility charts show full compatibility with water, alcohol, and many common solvents. As a result, industries appreciate its easy miscibility, especially in paints, coatings, and household detergents. This isn’t the type you’ll find hardening into crystals or clumping into powders—the liquid state brings the best results, avoiding messes of solid residues.
Triethylene Glycol Butyl Ether traces down to a central chain of ethylene glycol units capped off with a butyl group. Casual diagrams show a backbone of three ethylene glycol linkages, each one adding flexibility and a temperate polarity. These oxygen-laced bridges lend the chemical its mild solvency—strong enough to lift stains or dissolve resins, gentle enough to avoid eating through plastics. Pick up a safety sheet, and the HS Code 29094900 often appears on shipping manifests, marking its run through customs and trade channels. Specifications often list the boiling point around 288°C, a refractive index near 1.445 at 20°C, and a vapor pressure too low to rank as volatile by EPA standards.
No strong odors or fumes drift off this liquid, but safety still deserves careful attention. The label reads "harmful" when swallowed or when vapor concentrations rise in confined spaces. Eye contact stings, and skin exposure—especially for prolonged periods—can dry out the skin or cause minor dermatitis for the unlucky few. Triethylene Glycol Butyl Ether doesn't flare up readily, but open flames and hot surfaces should stay clear. Spills stay manageable, tending to form soapy puddles rather than running away or fuming out toxins. I’ve handled it with nitrile gloves, safety goggles, and an apron—not thanks to any horror stories, just old-school caution. Keep containers well closed, well labeled, and away from food or drink.
Dispatch teams and warehouse staff point out the absence of radically toxic outcomes. Chronic exposures over months show only mild symptoms among factory workers, such as headaches or mild dryness. Still, regulatory bodies like OSHA keep this chemical on their monitoring lists, and safety data sheets recommend clear ventilation and basic PPE always.
Triethylene Glycol Butyl Ether acts as a support player—never a headliner but always around where things move. I’ve spoken to folks mixing up inks and dyes, and they say nothing quite blends pigments like this glycol ether. Painters and industrial cleaners appreciate the way it lifts up grease and paint without frying rubber seals or stripping adhesives. Put it in a solution, and it softens up dried gums, dissolves stubborn resins, and helps everything rinse away clean. Storage and shipping containers bear the UN 3082 marking, flagging it as an environmentally hazardous liquid for large-scale movement.
Inside the factory walls, demand for this raw material stays steady. Prices reflect a balance between supply from chemical manufacturers and demand from textile plants, coatings producers, and deep-cleaning operations. The main risk isn’t accidents but supply interruptions from overseas sources; a missed shipment means delays far down the product line. Looking at the global flow, most stocks ship out of major plants in China, with local suppliers distributing drums in sizes from twenty liters up to 200-liters bulk.
Most runoff or spilled product dilutes and degrades in water, but even small doses harm aquatic life over time. The MSDS warns against dumping large amounts in drains or lakes; this isn’t a eco-friendly solvent, though it breaks down faster than some older chlorinated chemicals. To reduce harm, treatment facilities recover as much as possible, and strict regulations flag it as a “controlled” discharge in public waterways.
In my own experience, the safest bet combines old habits—closed containers, clean-up kits always close—and new controls like chemical monitors and regular supervisor walk-throughs. Companies making surfactants or paints can switch to recycled drums and improved spill barriers, limiting any risk along the supply chain. Researchers keep experimenting with new glycol ethers boasting greener profiles, but for now, Triethylene Glycol Butyl Ether handles tough cleaning and specialty chemical work with reliability. As long as teams stay trained and standards enforced, this liquid finds a sturdy, responsible role in laboratories and industry floors worldwide.
