Ethyl Acetate
A fast-evaporating, comparatively low-toxicity solvent — coatings, printing inks, adhesives, nail care formulations and decaffeination processing.
Chelora Chemicals supplies technical and food-grade ethyl acetate to coatings, personal-care and food-processing customers worldwide, with full documentation.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 141-78-6
- IUPAC name
- Ethyl Acetate
- Molecular formula
- C₄H₈O₂
- Molecular weight
- 88.11 g/mol
- Boiling point
- 77.1 °C
- Melting point
- -83.6 °C
- UN Number
- UN 1173
- HS Code
- 2915 31
Note: Food-grade ethyl acetate used in decaffeination and flavour applications is produced and handled to tighter purity limits than technical/industrial grade. Confirm your target grade with our technical desk.
What Ethyl Acetate is used for
Ethyl Acetate is a colourless, highly volatile, flammable liquid with a characteristic sweet, fruity odour, produced industrially by the esterification of ethanol with acetic acid (Fischer esterification) or, in some integrated plants, as a by-product of the Tishchenko reaction from acetaldehyde.
Ethyl acetate's uses span coatings, printing inks and adhesive formulations, where its fast, clean evaporation and good solvency are valued; nail care and cosmetics, as the primary solvent in nail polish remover and polish formulations; and food-grade decaffeination processing, where its comparatively favourable toxicity profile among common solvents supports its use in coffee and tea decaffeination and flavour-extract production.
Where it sits in the petrochemical value chain
- Ethanol + Acetic Acid the two feedstocks esterified into ethyl acetate (not separately listed on this site).
- Ethyl Acetate (this product) the solvent for the coatings, cosmetics and food-processing applications below.
- Coatings / Nail Care / Decaffeinated Products the downstream applications across industrial, cosmetic and food sectors.
Handling character
Ethyl acetate is highly flammable but has a comparatively favourable acute-toxicity profile among common industrial solvents. Full hazard detail is in the Safety section below.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless liquid |
| Purity (technical grade) | 99.0-99.5% min |
| Purity (food grade) | 99.5%+ with tightened residue limits |
| Water content | < 0.3% (typical) |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Colourless, highly volatile, flammable liquid |
| Boiling point | 77.1 °C |
| Melting point | -83.6 °C |
| Density | 0.902 g/cm³ |
| Water solubility | Moderate (~80 g/L) |
| Flash point | -4 °C (highly flammable) |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 141-78-6 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put Ethyl Acetate to work
The clean-evaporating solvent behind coatings, nail care and food-grade decaffeination.
Coatings & printing inks
A fast-evaporating solvent in industrial coatings, flexographic and gravure printing inks.
- Technical-grade specification
- Bulk & drum supply
- Technical desk review on request
Nail care & cosmetics
The primary solvent in nail polish remover and a common solvent in nail polish formulations.
- Cosmetic-grade specification
- Documented batch traceability
- Contract & spot supply
Food-grade decaffeination
Used in coffee and tea decaffeination and flavour-extract processing, subject to food-grade purity requirements.
- Food-grade specification
- Full analytical documentation available
- Retained sample held against the lot
Adhesives
Used as a solvent in adhesive formulations requiring fast tack and clean evaporation.
- Documented batch traceability
- Technical desk review on request
Cleaning & degreasing
Used as a general industrial cleaning and degreasing solvent.
- Research & process-scale quantities
- Full documentation supplied
Contract & scheduled supply
Coatings, cosmetics and food-processing plants running continuous consumption are supported with scheduled bulk delivery.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Ethyl Acetate
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. Food-grade and cosmetic-grade purity requirements differ meaningfully from technical grade — that shapes how we manage this line.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your required grade, your price point and your delivery window, and confirm your jurisdiction's import and food/cosmetic compliance requirements before booking.
We keep a second qualified source on this line, so a single-plant disruption never becomes your production problem.
- Technical, cosmetic and food grades confirmed before we quote. Each end use carries its own purity and residue requirements.
- UN 1173 documentation managed end to end. Classification, labelling and carrier compliance confirmed before booking.
- Scheduled call-off scheduling. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
- Batch traceability to the producing plant. Full chain of custody documentation on request.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Classification, approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Technical, cosmetic and food grades all sourced. Matched precisely to your end-use specification.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Drum, tote or bulk tank — tell us your preferred format and we will quote and classify to it.
200-210 litre drums
Steel or plastic drums for smaller-volume orders and trial quantities.
~1,000 litre totes
Returnable or one-way IBC totes sized for mid-volume converter orders.
Large-volume bulk shipment
ISO tank or flexi-tank bulk shipment for continuous-consumption coatings and food-processing plants.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with documentation filed before booking.
Trial / sample quantities
Small packs dispatched for process trials before a commercial order is placed.
Contracted call-off supply
We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
Highly flammable — handle accordingly
Ethyl acetate is highly flammable and causes eye irritation, though its acute toxicity profile is comparatively favourable among common solvents. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H225Highly flammable liquid and vapour.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H336May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
Use with adequate ventilation. Ethyl acetate vapour can accumulate in low-lying or enclosed areas; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Storage
Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from heat, sunlight and oxidising agents.
Handling
Use solvent-resistant gloves and eye protection for liquid transfer. Provide good ventilation given its volatility; avoid prolonged inhalation and skin contact.
Transport
Shipped as UN 1173 (Ethyl acetate), a highly flammable liquid. We confirm and document exact classification for your specific shipment and destination.
Every batch, documented
We verify documentation before dispatch so there are no surprises at your incoming-goods bench.
Specification agreed
Purity, water content and grade (technical/cosmetic/food) confirmed against your process requirement before order placement.
Producer batch testing
The producing plant tests each batch against the agreed specification before release.
Documentation review
COA, SDS and transport/food-compliance paperwork checked by our desk before the shipment is booked.
Traceable dispatch
Each shipment is traceable to its producing batch, with full chain-of-custody records on request.
How Ethyl Acetate is made
Ethyl acetate is produced industrially mainly by the Fischer esterification of ethanol with acetic acid under acid catalysis, with water removed to drive the equilibrium toward ester formation. Some integrated acetaldehyde-based plants also produce ethyl acetate as a co-product of the Tishchenko reaction.
We do not publish operating process parameters here; this is background only. Full technical documentation accompanies every shipment, and any process-specific detail you need is best confirmed directly with our technical desk.
| Chemical family | Aliphatic ester |
|---|---|
| Functional groups | Ester (carboxylic acid ester) group |
| Reactivity | Hydrolysis back to ethanol and acetic acid; general solvent; transesterification |
| Related compounds | Acetic Acid (feedstock), Isopropyl Alcohol, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (related solvents) |
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Ethyl Acetate, answered
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