Product Description
Ethyl formate (CAS No. 109-94-4), also known as formic acid ethyl ester, is a colorless, low-viscosity liquid with a pleasant fruity odor. It is an important ester compound widely used in flavor and fragrance applications.
Due to its sweet, fruity aroma, ethyl formate is commonly used in the preparation of flavor formulations for rum, apricot, peach, pineapple, mixed fruit, sherry, and other food and beverage products. It is naturally present in various sources, including certain fruits, honey, brandy, strawberries, raspberries, citrus products, and fermented beverages, contributing to their characteristic aromas.
Industrial ethyl formate is typically produced through the esterification reaction of ethanol and formic acid under catalytic conditions, followed by purification processes to achieve the desired product quality.
With its excellent flavor performance, natural occurrence, and reliable chemical properties, ethyl formate is an important ingredient for the food flavor, beverage, and fragrance industries.
| Melting point | -80 °C (lit.) |
| Boiling point | 52-54 °C (lit.) |
| density | 0.921 g/mL at 20 °C (lit.) |
| vapor density | 2.5 (vs air) |
| vapor pressure | 15.16 psi ( 55 °C) |
| refractive index | n20/D 1.359(lit.) |
| FEMA | 2434 | ETHYL FORMATE |
| Fp | 7 °F |
| storage temp. | 2-8°C |
| solubility | Miscible with alcohol, benzene, and ether (Hawley, 1981) |
| form | Liquid |
| color | Clear |
| Odor | Characteristic; pleasant aromatic. |
| Odor Threshold | 2.7ppm |
| Odor Type | ethereal |
| biological source | synthetic |
| explosive limit | 0.16 |
| Water Solubility | 11 g/100 mL (18 ºC) |
| Thermal Conductivity | 0.16 W/(m·K) at 25 ℃ |
| Sensitive | Moisture Sensitive |
| JECFA Number | 26 |
| Merck | 143807 |
| BRN | 906769 |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0.097(x 10-3 atmm3/mol) at 5.00 °C, 0.13 at 10.00 °C, 0.17 at 15.00 °C, 0.23 at 20.00 °C, 0.29 at 25.00 °C (column stripping-UV, Kutsuna et al., 2005) |
| Dielectric constant | 8.4（6℃） |
| Exposure limits | TLV-TWA 100 ppm (～300 mg/m3) (ACGIH, MSHA, and OSHA); IDLH 8000 ppm (NIOSH). |
| Stability: | Stable. Extremely flammable. May form explosive mixtures with air. Note low flash point and wide explosive limits. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, strong bases, strong acids, nitrates. |
| Major Application | agriculture |
| cleaning products | |
| cosmetics | |
| environmental | |
| flavors and fragrances | |
| food and beverages | |
| personal care | |
| Cosmetics Ingredients Functions | PERFUMING |
| InChI | 1S/C3H6O2/c1-2-5-3-4/h3H,2H2,1H3 |
| InChIKey | WBJINCZRORDGAQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| SMILES | CCOC=O |
| LogP | 1.504 at 25℃ |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 109-94-4(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| NIST Chemistry Reference | Formic acid, ethyl ester(109-94-4) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | Ethyl formate (109-94-4) |
Safety Information
| Hazard Codes | F,Xn |
| Risk Statements | 11-20/22-36/37 |
| Safety Statements | 9-16-24-26-33 |
| OEB | A |
| OEL | TWA: 100 ppm (300 mg/m3) |
| RIDADR | UN 1190 |
| WGK Germany | 1 |
| RTECS | LQ8400000 |
| Autoignition Temperature | 851 °F |
| TSCA | TSCA listed |
| HazardClass | 3 |
| PackingGroup | II |
| HS Code | 29151300 |
| Storage Class | 3 - Flammable liquids |
| Hazard Classifications | Acute Tox. 4 Inhalation |
| Acute Tox. 4 Oral | |
| Eye Irrit. 2 | |
| Flam. Liq. 2 | |
| STOT SE 3 | |
| Hazardous Substances Data | 109-94-4(Hazardous Substances Data) |
| Toxicity | LD50 orally in rats: 4.29 g/kg (Smyth) |
| IDLA | 1,500 ppm |
Applications of Ethyl Formate CAS No. 109-94-4
Ethyl formate is a versatile ester compound widely used in chemical processing, pharmaceutical synthesis, and industrial formulations due to its excellent solvent properties and chemical reactivity.
Solvent Applications
Ethyl formate is commonly used as an effective solvent for materials such as nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate. Its good dissolving capability makes it suitable for applications in coatings, polymer processing, and specialty chemical formulations.
Pharmaceutical Intermediate Applications
In pharmaceutical synthesis, ethyl formate serves as an important chemical intermediate involved in the preparation of nucleobase-related compounds, including uracil, cytosine, and thymine. Its reactive ester structure provides valuable functionality for organic synthesis processes.
Chemical Industry Applications
With its favorable volatility, solvency, and reactivity, ethyl formate is also utilized in various fine chemical manufacturing processes, supporting the production of specialty chemicals and functional materials.
Due to its versatile performance and broad compatibility, ethyl formate remains an important raw material in solvent systems, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and organic synthesis industries.
