Loading AI tools
Chemical compound From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pentaerythritol is an organic compound with the formula C(CH2OH)4. The meolecular structure can be described as a neopentane with one hydrogen atom in each methyl group replaced by a hydroxyl (–OH) group. It is therefore a polyol, specifically a tetrol
![]() | |
![]() | |
Names | |
---|---|
Preferred IUPAC name
2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol[1] | |
Other names
2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)1,3-propanediol Pentaerythritol[1] Hercules P 6 Monopentaerythritol Tetramethylolmethane THME PETP Pentaerythrite Pentek Hercules Aqualon improved technical PE-200 | |
Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
|
ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
DrugBank | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.003.732 |
EC Number |
|
KEGG | |
PubChem CID |
|
RTECS number |
|
UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
|
| |
| |
Properties | |
C5H12O4 | |
Molar mass | 136.15 g/mol |
Appearance | white solid |
Density | 1.396 g/cm3 |
Melting point | 260.5 °C (500.9 °F; 533.6 K) |
Boiling point | 276 °C (529 °F; 549 K) at 30 mmHg |
| |
Solubility |
Slightly soluble in:methanol, ethanol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, formamide; insoluble in: acetone, toluene, heptane, diethyl ether, dichloromethane |
Vapor pressure | 0.00000008 mmHg (20°C)[4] |
Hazards | |
Flash point | 200.1 °C (392.2 °F; 473.2 K) |
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
PEL (Permissible) |
TWA 15 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp)[4] |
REL (Recommended) |
TWA 10 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp)[4] |
IDLH (Immediate danger) |
N.D.[4] |
Related compounds | |
Related compounds |
Neopentane, Neopentyl alcohol, Neopentyl glycol, Trimethylolethane, Orthocarbonic acid |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
|
Pentaerythritol is a white solid. It is a building block for the synthesis and production of explosives, plastics, paints, appliances, cosmetics, and many other commercial products.
The word pentaerythritol is a blend of penta- in reference to its five carbon atoms and erythritol, which also possesses 4 alcohol groups.
Pentaerythritol was first reported in 1891 by German chemist Bernhard Tollens and his student P. Wigand.[5] It may be prepared via a base-catalyzed multiple-addition reaction between acetaldehyde and 3 equivalents of formaldehyde to give pentaerythrose (CAS: 3818-32-4), followed by a Cannizzaro reaction with a fourth equivalent of formaldehyde to give the final product plus formate ion.[6]
Pentaerythritol is a versatile building block for the preparation of many compounds,[7] particularly polyfunctionalized derivatives. applications include alkyd resins, varnishes, polyvinyl chloride stabilizers, tall oil esters, antioxidants (e.g. Anox 20). Such derivatives are found in plastics, paints, cosmetics, and many other products.[8]
Esters of pentaerythitol are biodegradable,[9][10] and they are used as transformer oils.[11] Due to a very high flash point they also find some use in lubricating gas turbines.[12]
Pentaerythritol is a precursor to esters of the type C(CH2OX)4. Such derivatives are pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a vasodilator and explosive, the trinitrate derivative pentrinitrol (Petrin), the tetraacetate normosterol (PAG), and the polymer cross-linking agents pentaerythritol tetraacrylate and pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate).[13][14]
A linear polymer which can be described as a (spiro) orthocarbonate ester of pentaerythritol, whose formula could be written as [(−CH2)2C(CH2−)2 (−O)2C(O−)2]n, was synthesized in 2002.[15]
Pentaerythritol is used as a fire retardant, such as in plastics and intumescent paints and coatings. It releases water upon heating and leaves a deposit of thermally insulating char.[16]