What is Triethanolamine?

1. Physical properties

Triethanolamine is a colorless to pale yellow transparent viscous liquid at room temperature, with a slight ammonia odor. Its melting point is about 21 ℃, and its boiling point is between 335.4 ℃ and 360 ℃ (the boiling range given in different literature may vary slightly, which may be related to the measurement conditions). The density of triethanolamine is about 1.124 g/cm ³, the flash point is 179 ℃, and the refractive index is 1.482~1.485 at 20 ℃. In addition, triethanolamine also has certain hygroscopicity and can absorb acidic gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

2. Chemical properties

Triethanolamine has weak basicity due to the presence of lone pair electrons on the nitrogen atom, and its basicity is weaker than that of ammonia (pKa=7.82). This weak alkalinity allows triethanolamine to react with inorganic or organic acids to form corresponding salts. Meanwhile, triethanolamine also possesses the properties of tertiary amine and alcohol, and can participate in various chemical reactions. For example, when reacting with organic acids, salts may be formed at low temperatures, while esters may be formed at high temperatures; Can form 2-4 coordination complexes with various metals; When oxidized with hypochlorous acid, amine oxide is generated; When oxidized with periodic acid, it decomposes into ammonia and formaldehyde.

3. Purpose:

Triethanolamine has a wide range of applications in various fields due to its unique properties. For example, in the chemical industry, it can be used as a vulcanizing agent for natural rubber, synthetic rubber, nitrile rubber polymerization agent, etc; In exhaust gas treatment, it can be used to remove acidic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide; In addition, triethanolamine can also be used as a thickening agent, neutralizing agent, and preservative for lubricants.

4. Security

Although triethanolamine has a wide range of applications in various fields, its safety cannot be ignored. Triethanolamine is flammable and may cause fires or explosions under specific conditions. In addition, it may also cause irritation to the eyes and have potential toxic effects. Therefore, special attention should be paid to safety during storage, transportation, and use. It is recommended that relevant enterprises and personnel strengthen their understanding of its physical and chemical properties, master correct storage, transportation, and usage methods, and strictly comply with relevant safety regulations and operating procedures.

In summary, triethanolamine is an organic compound with unique physical and chemical properties, which has a wide range of applications in various fields such as medicine and cosmetics. However, attention should also be paid to its safety issues during use.