Methyl lactate #CAS547-64-8

Methyl lactate #CAS547-64-8

Methyl lactate is a colorless transparent liquid. It is soluble/miscible in water, acetone, ethyl alcohol, and other organic solvents. It is used as a cellulose acetate solvent.It is a colorless and transparent flammable liquid with a special ester aroma. Its molecule contains both ester groups and alcohol hydroxyl groups, presenting an active dual chemical property. It is miscible with most organic solvents such as water, alcohols, and ethers. However, it readily undergoes hydrolysis in water (with a rate approximately twice that of ethyl lactate), especially under heating, atmospheric distillation, or alkaline catalysis, rapidly decomposing into lactic acid and methanol, accompanied by intermolecular self-condensation or polymerization phenomena. Under the catalysis of acid or sulfuric acid, the alcohol hydroxyl groups and ester groups can undergo intermolecular dehydration condensation to form oligomers or even caprolactone; it can also undergo ester exchange reactions to synthesize other lactic acid esters. Additionally, the hydroxyl group of lactic acid methyl ester can be oxidized to a carbonyl group under the action of an appropriate oxidant, generating methyl pyruvate; if it undergoes high-temperature cracking, it will undergo molecular thermal decomposition, generating products such as acetaldehyde, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methanol. Due to its relatively low flash point (about 49℃), it is flammable in the air and is prone to absorbing moisture and slowly degrading when exposed to the air for a long time. Therefore, it needs to be stored in a dry, cool, and sealed environment under inert gas protection.

Application Of Methyl lactate

Methyl lactate is used as a solvent for nitrocellulose, cellulase acetate, cellulase acetobutyrote and cellulase acetaprapionate. It is used in the manufacture of lacquers and dopes where it contributes high tolerance for diluents, good flaw and blush resistance.One important use of methyl lactate is use in the manufacture of methyl acrylate, which is a starting material for the manufacture of acrylate polymers. Additionally methyl acrylate is a suitable starting material for acrylic acid and other esters like ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate.In industrial applications, methyl lactate, as a green chemical product derived from renewable biomass, is widely used as an environmentally friendly high-boiling-point industrial solvent, a fine chemical intermediate, and a pesticide carrier due to its high solubility, low toxicity, and complete biodegradability. In the field of solvents, it has extremely strong solubility for high-molecular substances such as nitrocellulose and epoxy resins, and is widely used in high-end coatings, paints, and inks. Due to its excellent cleaning ability and safety, it has become a green cleaning agent for semiconductors and electronics, replacing traditional halogenated hydrocarbons. In chemical synthesis, it is the core precursor for manufacturing biodegradable plastic poly(lactic acid) (PLA) (used for preparing caprolactone)) and is also an important chiral raw material for synthesizing various medicines, fungicides, herbicides, and cosmetic fragrances. In pesticide formulations, it serves as an environmentally friendly co-solvent, significantly improving the stability and dispersion of active ingredients and effectively reducing ecological pollution to soil and water sources.

Fact Factory and Equipment Show