Ethyl formate

Ethyl formate

Ethyl methanoate 100px
Names
IUPAC name Ethyl formate
Systematic IUPAC name Ethyl methanoate
Identifiers
CAS Number	109-94-4 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:52342 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL44215 Y
ChemSpider	7734 Y
Jmol 3D model	Interactive image
UNII	0K3E2L5553 Y
InChI InChI=1S/C3H6O2/c1-2-5-3-4/h3H,2H2,1H3 Y Key: WBJINCZRORDGAQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/C3H6O2/c1-2-5-3-4/h3H,2H2,1H3 Key: WBJINCZRORDGAQ-UHFFFAOYAO
SMILES O=COCC
Properties
Chemical formula	C3H6O2
Molar mass	74.08 g·mol−1
Appearance	Colorless liquid
Odor	fruity
Density	0.917 g/cm3
Melting point	−80 °C; −112 °F; 193 K
Boiling point	54.0 °C (129.2 °F; 327.1 K)
Solubility in water	9% (17.78°C)
Vapor pressure	200 mmHg (20°C)
Vapor pressure	{{{value}}}
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Ethyl formate is an ester formed when ethanol (an alcohol) reacts with formic acid (a carboxylic acid). It is also known as ethyl methanoate because formic acid is also known as methanoic acid. Ethyl formate has the characteristic smell of rum and is also partially responsible for the flavor of raspberries. It occurs naturally in the body of ants and in the stingers of bees.

Exposure

Ethyl methanoate is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

According to the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ethyl formate can irritate eyes, skin, mucous membranes, and the respiratory system of humans and other animals; it is also a central nervous system depressant. In industry, it is used as a solvent for cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, oils, and greases. It can be used as a substitute for acetone; workers may also be exposed to it under the following circumstances:

• during spray, brush, or dip applications of lacquers
• during the manufacture of safety glass
• when fumigating tobacco, cereals, and dried fruits (as an alternative to methyl bromide under the U.S. Department of Agriculture quarantine system)

OSHA considers a time-weighted average of 100 parts per million (300 milligrams per cubic meter) over an eight-hour period as the permissible exposure limit. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also considers a time-weighted average of 100 ppm over an eight-hour period as the recommended exposure limit.

In space

Astronomers have identified ethyl formate in dust clouds in an area of the Milky Way galaxy called Sagittarius B2. The astronomers, from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, used the 30 metre IRAM radiotelescope in Spain to analyse the spectra of radiation emitted from hot regions near a new star. It is among 50 molecules identified by the astronomers.