Trimethylolethane (TME) is the

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

with the formula CH₃C(CH₂OH)₃. This colorless solid is a

triol In chemistry, a triol is a chemical compound containing three hydroxyl groups ( functional groups),functional group In organic chemistry, a functional group is a substituent or moiety in a molecule that causes the molecule's characteristic chemical reactions. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions regardless of the rest ...

s. More specifically, it features three

primary alcohol A primary alcohol is an alcohol in which the hydroxy group is bonded to a primary carbon atom. It can also be defined as a molecule containing a “–CH2OH” group. In contrast, a secondary alcohol has a formula “–CHROH” and a tertiary ...

groups in a compact

neopentyl Pentyl is a five-carbon alkyl group or substituent with chemical formula -C5H11. It is the substituent form of the alkane pentane. In older literature, the common non-systematic name amyl was often used for the pentyl group. Conversely, the name ...

structure. Its esters are known for their resistance to heat, light,

hydrolysis Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution reaction, substitution, elimination reaction, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water ...

, and

oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

. More important than TME and closely related is

trimethylolpropane 300 C--> Trimethylolpropane (TMP) is the organic compound with the formula CH3CH2C(CH2OH)3. This colourless to white solid with a faint odor is a triol. Containing three hydroxy functional groups, TMP is a widely used building block in the polymer ...

(TMP).

Production

Trimethylolethane is produced via a two step process, starting with the

condensation reaction In organic chemistry, a condensation reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which two molecules are combined to form a single molecule, usually with the loss of a small molecule such as water. If water is lost, the reaction is also known as a ...

propionaldehyde Propionaldehyde or propanal is the organic compound with the formula CH3CH2CHO. It is the 3-carbon aldehyde. It is a colourless, flammable liquid with a slightly fruity odour. It is produced on a large scale industrially. Production Propionalde ...

with

formaldehyde Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section F ...

: :CH₃CH₂CHO + 2 CH₂O → CH₃C(CH₂OH)₂CHO The second step entails a

Cannizzaro reaction The Cannizzaro reaction, named after its discoverer Stanislao Cannizzaro, is a chemical reaction which involves the base-induced disproportionation of two molecules of a non-enolizable aldehyde to give a primary alcohol and a carboxylic acid. : ...

: :CH₃C(CH₂OH)₂CHO + CH₂O + NaOH → CH₃C(CH₂OH)₃ + NaO₂CH A few thousand tons are produced annually in this way.Peter Werle, Marcus Morawietz, Stefan Lundmark, Kent Sörensen, Esko Karvinen, Juha Lehtonen “Alcohols, Polyhydric” in Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2008.

Applications

TME is an intermediate in the production of

alkyd An alkyd is a polyester resin modified by the addition of fatty acids and other components. Alkyds are derived from polyols and organic acids including dicarboxylic acids or carboxylic acid anhydride and triglyceride oils. The term ''alkyd'' is a m ...

and

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on natu ...

powder coating Powder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry Powder (substance), powder. Unlike conventional liquid paint which is delivered via an evaporating solvent, powder coating is typically applied electrostatically and then P ...

resins,

synthetic lubricant Synthetic things are composed of multiple parts, often with the implication that they are artificial. In particular, 'synthetic' may refer to: Science * Synthetic chemical or compound, produced by the process of chemical synthesis * Synthetic o ...

s based on polyol esters, stabilizers for plastics,

plasticizer A plasticizer ( UK: plasticiser) is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, and/or to decrease friction during its handling in manufacture. Plasticiz ...

s, and pigment coatings based on

titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania , is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6 (PW6), or CI 77891. It is a white solid that is insolubl ...

. Trimethylolethane based resins have superior weatherability and resistance to alkali and heat. Trimethylolethane is used in some phase change materials. The typical composition is then 63 wt.% TME with 37 wt.% water. The mixture has melting point of 29.8 °C and

heat of fusion In thermodynamics, the enthalpy of fusion of a substance, also known as (latent) heat of fusion, is the change in its enthalpy resulting from providing energy, typically heat, to a specific quantity of the substance to change its state from a s ...

218 kJ/kg.

Nitration In organic chemistry, nitration is a general class of chemical processes for the introduction of a nitro group into an organic compound. The term also is applied incorrectly to the different process of forming nitrate esters between alcohols and ...

of trimethylolethane gives

trimethylolethane trinitrate Trimethylolethane trinitrate (TMETN), also known as metriol trinitrate (METN, MTN, METRTN) or nitropentaglycerin, is a nitrate ester. It is a high explosive similar to nitroglycerin. It is a transparent oily liquid, colorless to light brown. It is ...

, an

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

monopropellant Monopropellants are propellants consisting of chemicals that release energy through exothermic chemical decomposition. The molecular bond energy of the monopropellant is released usually through use of a catalyst. This can be contrasted with biprop ...

, and energetic plasticizer.

References

External links

MSDS

TME
Triols

Production

Applications

See also

References

External links