Ethylene Oxide
The foundational petrochemical building block behind ethylene glycols, ethoxylate surfactants and medical sterilization — handled under strict controlled-transport protocols throughout.
Chelora Chemicals supplies Ethylene Oxide to glycol, surfactant and specialty-chemical manufacturers worldwide, with full engineering and regulatory documentation on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 75-21-8
- IUPAC name
- Oxirane
- Molecular formula
- C₂H₄O
- Molecular weight
- 44.05 g/mol
- Boiling point
- 10.4 °C
- Melting point
- -112.5 °C
- UN Number
- UN 1040
- HS Code
- 2910 10*
* Confirm the current HS classification, transport protocol and import regulatory status for your destination with your own regulatory affairs and logistics teams before ordering.
What Ethylene Oxide is used for
Ethylene oxide (EO) is a colourless, extremely flammable gas at room temperature, with a boiling point of only 10.4 °C — it is handled and transported as a refrigerated or pressurised liquid in dedicated, specification-compliant equipment throughout the supply chain. Its three-membered oxirane ring makes it exceptionally reactive, the basis of its entire downstream chemistry.
EO's single largest use, accounting for an estimated three-quarters of global consumption, is as the feedstock for ethylene glycols — mono-, di- and triethylene glycol — which go on to make polyester fibre, PET resin and automotive antifreeze. The remainder feeds ethoxylates, ethanolamines and surfactants used in detergents, emulsifiers and dispersants, and polyethylene glycols (PEGs) used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and lubricants. In its pure gaseous form it is also the most widely used chemical sterilant for medical devices, accounting for roughly 70% of medical device sterilization worldwide, owing to its ability to penetrate packaging and sterilise at low temperature.
Where it sits in the petrochemical value chain
- Ethylene Oxide (this product) the foundational building block, made by the catalytic oxidation of ethylene.
- Mono/Di/Triethylene Glycol the direct downstream glycols used in polyester and antifreeze chemistry. See that page.
- Purified Terephthalic Acid / Dimethyl Terephthalate the acid-side monomers that combine with MEG to form PET. See that page.
Handling character
Ethylene oxide is an extremely flammable, toxic, corrosive and suspected-carcinogenic gas requiring dedicated engineering controls at every stage. Full hazard detail is in the Safety section below.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless liquefied gas |
| Assay | 99.8% min |
| Water content | Within producer specification |
| Acidity | Within producer specification |
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 gas at room temp; liquid under refrigeration/pressure |
| Boiling point | 10.4 °C |
| Melting point | -112.5 °C |
| Density (liquid) | 0.882 g/cm³ |
| Flash point | < -20 °C (extremely flammable) |
| Water solubility | Fully miscible |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 75-21-8 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification — the SDS for your specific batch and shipment governs.
Where our customers put this feedstock to work
The reactive, three-membered-ring molecule behind the glycol, surfactant and sterilization industries.
Ethylene glycol production
Hydrolysed into mono-, di- and triethylene glycol feeding polyester, PET and antifreeze chemistry.
- Polymer-grade specification
- Dedicated pressurised/refrigerated supply
- Technical desk review on request
Ethoxylates & surfactants
Reacted to form ethoxylates, ethanolamines and surfactants used in detergents, emulsifiers and dispersants.
- Documented batch traceability
- Contract & spot supply
- Technical desk review on request
Medical device sterilization
Used as the most widely adopted low-temperature chemical sterilant for medical devices and packaging.
- Electronic/sterilization-grade specification
- Full analytical documentation available
- Retained sample held against the lot
Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
Polymerised into PEGs used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and lubricant formulations.
- Documented batch traceability
- Technical desk review on request
Fumigant & fungicide chemistry
Used in smaller volumes as a fumigant and fungicide intermediate.
- Research & process-scale quantities
- Full documentation supplied
Contract & scheduled supply
Glycol and ethoxylate plants running continuous consumption are supported with scheduled, dedicated-equipment delivery.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Ethylene Oxide
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. Ethylene oxide's extreme flammability and refrigerated/pressurised handling requirement mean engineering review, transport protocol and regulatory documentation are central to every order — 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, transport and occupational-exposure requirements before booking.
We keep a second qualified source on this line, so a single-plant disruption never becomes your production problem.
- Assay confirmed before we quote. Consistency matters to downstream glycol and ethoxylate quality.
- UN 1040 dedicated transport engineered before booking. Pressurised/refrigerated equipment confirmed compliant for your route.
- Carcinogenicity and flammability declarations filed correctly. Every shipment carries the correct hazard and regulatory declarations.
- 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 transport equipment, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
Shipped the only way this product safely moves
Dedicated pressurised/refrigerated equipment only — no drum, bag or small-pack format exists for this product.
Dedicated ISO tank container
Purpose-built pressurised tank containers rated and certified for UN 1040 ethylene oxide transport.
Dedicated bulk tanker shipment
Dedicated rail or road tanker equipment for direct plant-to-plant bulk supply where pipeline connection is unavailable.
Pre-shipment engineering review
Every shipment is preceded by an engineering and safety review of the receiving site's equipment and procedures.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with documentation filed before booking.
Contracted call-off supply
We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
Direct pipeline connection
Where feasible, direct pipeline supply between adjacent producer and consumer sites can be arranged.
Extremely flammable & suspected carcinogen — strict exposure control required
Ethylene oxide's combination of extreme flammability, acute toxicity and carcinogenicity concern makes this one of the most tightly controlled products we supply. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch, and your jurisdiction's occupational exposure limits, are the authoritative documents.
Classified hazards
H220Extremely flammable gas.H230May react explosively even in the absence of air.H301Toxic if swallowed.H314Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.H331Toxic if inhaled.H335/H336May cause respiratory irritation / drowsiness or dizziness.H340May cause genetic defects.H350May cause cancer.H360FDMay damage fertility and the unborn child.H372Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
Classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen by IARC. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch and shipment and follow your site's engineering controls, continuous gas monitoring and medical-surveillance requirements for this material.
Storage
Stored exclusively in dedicated, refrigerated or pressurised, inert-gas-blanketed vessels in bunded, access-controlled areas with continuous leak detection, away from all ignition sources and incompatible materials.
Handling
Handled exclusively via closed-transfer systems with continuous gas monitoring, explosion-proof equipment and dedicated emergency response procedures. Personnel require specialist training, respiratory and skin protection, and medical-surveillance programmes consistent with this material's carcinogenicity classification.
Transport
Shipped as UN 1040 exclusively via certified pressurised/refrigerated equipment. We confirm and document the engineering review, packing group, and exact classification for your specific shipment and destination before booking.
Every batch, documented
We verify documentation and engineering compliance before dispatch so there are no surprises at your incoming-goods bench.
Specification & engineering review
Assay, transport equipment and receiving-site engineering 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, carcinogenicity declaration and transport 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 Ethylene Oxide is made
Ethylene oxide is produced industrially by the catalytic oxidation of ethylene over a silver catalyst, a long-established route in petrochemical chemistry, with production facilities typically integrated directly into ethylene glycol manufacturing to minimise the need to transport this high-hazard intermediate.
We do not publish operating process parameters here; this is background only. Full technical, safety and regulatory documentation accompanies every shipment, and any process-specific detail you need is best confirmed directly with our technical desk.
| Chemical family | Cyclic ether (oxirane) / epoxide |
|---|---|
| Reactive site | Strained three-membered oxirane ring |
| Reactivity | Ring-opens readily with water, alcohols and amines |
| Related compounds | Ethylene (feedstock), Mono/Di/Triethylene Glycol (downstream) |
Explore the wider petrochemical range
Ethylene Oxide, answered
What is Ethylene Oxide used for?
Is Ethylene Oxide hazardous?
How is Ethylene Oxide supplied and transported?
What grade do you supply?
What packing do you offer?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
- Need a downstream glycol? See our Mono Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene Glycol pages.
Get a quote on Ethylene Oxide today
Send us your required grade, transport equipment and delivery window. We will come back with a firm quote, lead time and full documentation.