Xylene

Base Information

• Chemical Name: Xylene
• CAS No.: 1330-20-7
• Molecular Formula: C8H10
• Molecular Weight: 106.18
• Hs Code.: 29024400
• Mol file: 1330-20-7.mol

Synonyms:Dimethylbenzene;Xylene mixture (60% m-xylene, 9% o-xylene, 14% p-xylene, 17% ethylbenzene);Xylenes (mixed);Xylol;Benzene,dimethyl-;Eylene;

Chemical Property of Xylene

Chemical Property:

• Appearance/Colour: colourless liquid
• Vapor Pressure: 18 mm Hg ( 37.7 °C)
• Melting Point: -34 ºC
• Refractive Index: n20/D 1.497(lit.)
• Boiling Point: 136-140 ºC
• Flash Point: 21 ºC
• PSA: 0.00000
• Density: 0.865 g/cm³
• LogP: 2.30340
• Storage Temp.: Flammables area
• Water Solubility.: <0.1 g/L (20℃)

Purity/Quality:

99% ^*data from raw suppliers

Xylenes(ContainsEthylbenzene) ^*data from reagent suppliers

Safty Information:

• Pictogram(s): Xn,F
• Hazard Codes: Xn,F
• Statements: 10-20/21-38-36/38-65-48/20
• Safety Statements: 25-36/37-62

MSDS Files:

SDS file from LookChem

Total 1 MSDS from other Authors

Useful:

• Description: As one of the most common chemicals used in industry, Xylene it is commonly found in ink, rubber, varnishes, adhesives, jet fuel, gasoline, pesticides, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and elsewhere. It can be used as a solvent and cleaner for acrylic antiquing sealers on concrete, a paint thinner, and a transfer agent for printed materials, among many other uses. In histology, it is used as a clearing agent to prepare samples for coverslipping, as well as tissue processing and staining. As a wax solvent, it can remove paraffin from slides prior to use. Paraxylene, one of its isomers, is also used as a precursor to terephthalic acid and dimethyl terephthalate, both important raw materials for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of plastic commonly used for bottles and other packaging. Various isomers of xylene are also used as a precursors for polyester fabric, tear gas, and other chemicals. Xylene is used as a solvent. In this application, the mixture of isomers is often referred to as xylenes or xylol. Solvent xylene often contains a small percentage of ethylbenzene. Like the individual isomers, the mixture is colourless, sweet smelling, and highly flammable. Application of xylene is extensive and includes, but is not limited to, printing, rubber, and leather industries. Similarly, it is used as a cleaning agent for steel and silicon wafers. In the petroleum industry, xylene is also a frequent component of paraffin solvents, used when the tubing becomes clogged with paraffin wax. Xylene is incompatible with strong oxidisers and is known to cause fires and explosions. There are three forms of xylene in which the methyl groups vary on the benzene ring: (i) meta-xylene, (ii) ortho-xylene, and (iii) para-xylene. These forms are referred to as isomers. Xylene is a colourless, sweet-smelling liquid. Xylene occurs naturally in petroleum and coal tar. Chemical industries produce xylene from petroleum. It is also used as a cleaning agent and a thinner for paint and in paints, in glues, in printing inks, and in varnishes. Xylene evaporates quickly from the soil and surface water into the air.
• Physical properties: Xylene is benzene to which two methyl groups have been added to two carbon atoms in the benzene ring. The addition of two methyl groups gives three isomers of xylene labeled according to the relative positions of the methyl groups. Ortho-xylene has methyl groups on consecutive carbons in the ring, meta-xylene's metyl groups are separated by a single carbon bonded to hydrogen atoms, and para-xylene has the methyl groups on carbon atoms on opposite sides of the ring. The three xylene isomers are abbreviated using o-,m-, p- for ortho, meta, and para, respectively. Xylene is used both as a mixture, where it is referred to as xylenes or xylol, and as individual isomers. Because their boiling points are close, separation using distillation is difficult. Therefore isomers are separated using techniques such as recrystallization and adsorption. Xylenes are flammable, colorless liquids with a pleasant odor. Xylene was first isolated from coal tar in the mid-19th century. The name xylene comes from the Greek word for wood xulon because xylene was obtained from the distillation of wood in the absence of oxygen.
• Uses: Xylene is used as a chemical feedstock in the chemical industry. Xylenes can undergooxidation where the side methyl groups are oxidized to give a carboxyl group (COOH)yielding a carboxylic acid. The particular acid produced depends on the isomer oxidized. Wheno-xylene is oxidized phthalic acid is produced, and when p-xylene is oxidized terephthalic acidresults. Terephthalic acid is one of the main feedstocks in making polyesters.Terephthalic acid reacts with ethylene glycol to form the ester polyethylene terephthalate(PET). PET is one of the most common plastics used as food and beverage containers. PETcontainers contain the recycling symbol with a number 1. PET is marketed using a numberof commercial names; the most generic of these is polyester. It is also the material known asDacron. Mylar is PET in the form of thin films. Although all three isomers of xylene are usedas chemical feedstocks, the greatest demand is for para-xylene to produce terephthalic acid.The smallest demand is for meta-xylene. Approximately 30 million tons of xylenes are usedannually worldwide. Solvent; manufacture of certain organic compounds; cleaning agent; component of fuels. Aviation gasoline; protective coatings; solvent for alkyd resins, lacquers, enamels, rubber cements; synthesis of organic chemicals.