Triethyl borate is a colorless liquid with the formula B(OCH₂CH₃)₃. It is an

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...

boric acid Boric acid, more specifically orthoboric acid, is a compound of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen with formula . It may also be called hydrogen borate or boracic acid. It is usually encountered as colorless crystals or a white powder, that dissolves ...

and

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...

. It has few applications. It is a weak Lewis acid (AN = 17 as measured by the

Gutmann–Beckett method In chemistry, the Gutmann–Beckett method is an experimental procedure used by chemists to assess the Lewis acidity of molecular species. Triethylphosphine oxide (, TEPO) is used as a probe molecule and systems are evaluated by 31P-NMR spectr ...

).M.A. Beckett, G.C. Strickland, J.R. Holland, and K.S. Varma, "A convenient NMR method for the measurement of Lewis acidity at boron centres: correlation of reaction rates of Lewis acid initiated epoxide polymerizations with Lewis acidity", ''Polymer,'' 1996, 37, 4629–4631. doi: 10.1016/0032-3861(96)00323-0 It burns with a green flame and solutions of it in ethanol are therefore used in special effects and pyrotechnics. Triethyl borate

It is formed by the reaction of

and

in the presence of acid catalyst, where it forms according to the equilibrium reaction: :B(OH)₃ + 3 C₂H₅OH {{eqm (C₂H₅O)₃B + 3 H₂O In order to increase the rate of forward reaction, the formed water must be removed from reaction media by either azeotropic distillation or adsorption. It is used as a

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

and/or

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

in preparation of synthetic waxes, resins, paints, and varnishes. It is used as a component of some

flame retardant The term flame retardants subsumes a diverse group of chemicals that are added to manufactured materials, such as plastics and textiles, and surface finishes and coatings. Flame retardants are activated by the presence of an ignition source a ...

s in textile industry and of some

welding Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Welding is distinct from lower ...

fluxes.

References

External links

National Pollutant Inventory - Boron and compounds

WebBook page for BC6H15O3
Ethyl esters Borate esters Solvents