Product Overview
Amyl Acetate ACS Grade is a clear, colorless ester solvent with a persistent banana-like odor and a molecular weight of 130.18 g/mol (C7H14O2, CAS 628-63-7). It appears as a mixture of isomers, is less dense than water, and is classified as a flammable liquid under DOT transport regulations. ACS Grade is the purity designation that analytical labs, QC departments, and coatings formulators specify when documented solvent quality matters to their process outcomes.
Alliance Chemical offers Amyl Acetate ACS Grade in pack sizes from quarts through 330-gallon totes, covering everything from bench-scale lab work to full-production solvent systems. Every shipment is prepared and classified by our hazmat-trained warehouse team in Taylor, Texas, and ships with the required documentation for a Class 3 flammable liquid.
Why This Concentration
Choosing ACS Grade over a technical or ungraded solvent is a procurement decision driven by your downstream requirements. Buyers in analytical chemistry, coatings QC, and extraction work specify ACS Grade because it provides a documented purity tier that their SOPs or customers may require. If your application tolerates a broader specification — general-purpose degreasing, for example — a technical grade may reduce cost. But where your process demands traceability and a controlled solvent identity, ACS Grade is what purchasing agents write on the PO.
Amyl acetate's moderate evaporation rate and strong solvency for nitrocellulose and other film-forming resins make it a workhorse in coatings and lacquers. The ACS Grade designation gives QC teams confidence that the solvent itself is not introducing variability into their formulation or analytical results.
Chemical Profile
Amyl Acetate ACS Grade is a clear, colorless liquid with a persistent banana-like odor. Its density is 0.876 at 68 °F — lighter than water at roughly 7.2 lb per gal, so it floats on a water surface. Solubility in water is low at 0.2%, which is typical for medium-chain esters and relevant to any process where water contact or wash steps are involved. Vapor pressure sits at 5.17 mmHg, giving it a moderate evaporation rate that balances working time against dry-down speed in coating and lacquer applications. Flash point varies from 65 °F to 95 °F across the isomer mixture (per the product's GHS classification), placing it firmly in the flammable-liquid category. Vapors are heavier than air and will accumulate in low-lying or poorly ventilated spaces — a handling consideration our warehouse team accounts for in every packing operation.
Industrial Applications
Amyl acetate earns its place in several distinct workflows because of its solvency profile, controlled evaporation, and compatibility with a broad range of resins and substrates.
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Coatings and lacquers: The primary industrial use. Amyl acetate dissolves nitrocellulose, acrylic, and alkyd resins efficiently, producing smooth, even films. Its evaporation rate is slow enough to allow proper flow and leveling but fast enough to keep production lines moving. Formulators in paint, wood finish, and automotive refinish operations use it as both a primary solvent and a retarder blend component.
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Textile processing: Used as a solvent in textile printing inks and finishing agents where controlled drying and resin compatibility are required. Its low water solubility means it does not interfere with aqueous processing steps that follow solvent-based treatments.
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Analytical and chromatographic work: Serves as a mobile-phase component and extraction solvent in laboratory workflows. ACS Grade is the designation analytical buyers specify for this type of work, where solvent identity and consistency directly affect result quality.
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Extraction solvent: Applied in extraction processes to isolate target compounds from complex matrices. The low miscibility with water enables clean phase separations, and the moderate boiling range allows straightforward solvent recovery.
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Fragrance and flavor formulation: Amyl acetate's characteristic banana-like odor profile makes it a component in fragrance compounding and flavor formulation work, where it contributes fruity ester notes.
Handling & Storage
Amyl Acetate ACS Grade carries a GHS signal word of Warning (per the product's GHS classification). The governing hazard statements are:
- H226 — Flammable liquid and vapor
- H319 — Causes serious eye irritation
- H335 — May cause respiratory irritation
- H336 — May cause drowsiness or dizziness
Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from heat sources, open flames, and strong oxidizers. Vapors are heavier than air and will collect in low points — maintain active ventilation in any enclosed storage or use area. Compatible container materials include HDPE and glass. Avoid contact with strong acids and oxidizing agents, which can decompose the ester.
PPE for handling: chemical-resistant gloves, splash-proof safety goggles, and respiratory protection if ventilation is insufficient to keep vapor concentrations below occupational limits. Our Taylor, TX warehouse team handles this product under the same controls — flammable-liquid storage cabinets, grounded dispensing equipment, and trained hazmat personnel at every packing station.
Hazmat & Shipping
Amyl Acetate ships as a regulated Class 3 flammable liquid under DOT hazardous materials regulations. The full transport classification:
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UN Number: UN1104 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Proper Shipping Name: AMYL ACETATES (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Hazard Class: 3 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Packing Group: III (per 49 CFR 172.101)
Every outbound shipment is classified and packaged by our DOT-trained team. Shipping papers, markings, and labels are prepared in accordance with 49 CFR requirements. Packaging ranges from quart bottles through 55-gallon drums and 275- to 330-gallon totes — each configured for compliant ground transport of a PG III flammable liquid.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet ships with every order and is available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A Technical Data Sheet is available on request for buyers who need detailed product specifications beyond the SDS. Lot-specific Certificates of Analysis are available for customers whose QC or receiving protocols require batch-level documentation — request a COA at the time of your order.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
Amyl Acetate ACS Grade is available from quarts for lab and bench work through 330-gallon totes for production-scale solvent systems — every size classified and packed as a Class 3 flammable liquid by our hazmat-trained warehouse crew. Alliance Chemical has served over 50,000 customers since 1998, and every shipment of this product is reviewed under the guidance of Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist, to ensure transport compliance before it leaves our Taylor, Texas facility.
