Product Overview
Ethyl acetate (CAS 141-78-6) is a clear, colorless liquid solvent with a characteristic ether-like odor reminiscent of pineapple. This listing is our Reagent grade, offered from 1 quart bottles up to 55 gallon drums for order. It is a fast-evaporating, low-boiling ester solvent that analytical labs run in HPLC work, coatings shops use to cut resins, and pharmaceutical manufacturers use as an extraction medium.
It is a Class 3 flammable liquid (per 49 CFR 172.101), and we pack and ship it that way from our Taylor, Texas warehouse: rated packaging, correct labels, and an SDS with every order. If your process calls for a general-purpose organic solvent with a well-understood hazard profile, this is one of the most widely specified choices in industry.
Why This Concentration
Ethyl acetate is sold as a single-component solvent rather than a dilution, so the buying decision comes down to grade. The Reagent designation is the descriptor lab and QC buyers typically request when a solvent is going into analytical or extraction work where consistency matters more than price per gallon — think HPLC sample prep, liquid-liquid extraction, or method development. Buyers with strict purity requirements should review the lot-specific Certificate of Analysis for this product before committing it to a validated method; the grade label alone is not a substitute for checking the actual lot data.
The handling trade-off is the same at any grade: this is a volatile flammable with a 24 °F flash point. That volatility is exactly why it works — it flashes off coatings quickly and separates cleanly in extraction — but it means your receiving dock, dispensing area, and storage room need to be set up for Class 3 liquids before the first drum arrives.
Chemical Profile
Ethyl acetate is a clear, colorless liquid with the formula C4H8O2 and a molecular weight of 88.11. Its odor is the classic ether-like, pineapple-reminiscent note that makes it easy to detect in the workspace. It is less dense than water, with a density of 0.902 at 68 °F, so spills will float rather than sink — a real consideration for spill response planning. Water solubility runs 50 to 100 mg/mL at 70 °F. Vapor pressure is 73 mmHg at 68 °F rising to 100 mmHg at 81 °F, which is why open containers lose product fast and why vapor control matters: the vapors are heavier than air and will travel along floors toward ignition sources. Flash point is 24 °F. Also known as ethyl ethanoate or acetic ether, CAS number 141-78-6.
Industrial Applications
Buyers order this solvent for a handful of well-established jobs:
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HPLC and analytical work. Ethyl acetate serves as a mobile phase component and sample-prep solvent in liquid chromatography, where its moderate polarity separates a wide range of organic compounds.
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Coatings, paints, and varnishes. As an active solvent it dissolves nitrocellulose and many common resins, then evaporates quickly for fast dry-to-touch times in lacquers and industrial coatings.
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Extraction medium. Pharmaceutical and specialty manufacturers use it in liquid-liquid extraction to pull organic intermediates out of aqueous phases; its limited water solubility and low boiling point make phase separation and solvent recovery straightforward.
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Cleaning and degreasing. Manufacturing operations use it to flush lines, clean spray equipment, and remove uncured resin and adhesive residue from parts and tooling.
Handling & Storage
The signal word is Danger (per the product's GHS classification). It is a highly flammable liquid and vapor (H225), causes serious eye irritation (H319), may cause drowsiness or dizziness (H336), and repeated exposure may cause skin drying or cracking (EUH066) (per the product's GHS classification). Treat every transfer as an ignition-risk operation: ground and bond containers, use non-sparking tools, and keep dispensing away from heat and open flame.
Wear chemical-resistant gloves and goggles when handling, and work with mechanical ventilation — the heavier-than-air vapors pool low. Store in a cool, well-ventilated flammables area away from strong oxidizing agents and acids, in closed original containers. Because of the high vapor pressure, keep containers tightly sealed between uses to limit evaporative loss and vapor buildup.
Hazmat & Shipping
This product ships as a regulated hazardous material. The proper shipping name is Ethyl acetate (per 49 CFR 172.101), under UN1173 (per 49 CFR 172.101), Hazard Class 3 flammable liquid (per 49 CFR 172.101), Packing Group II (per 49 CFR 172.101). Our team packs it in UN-rated packaging with the required Class 3 labeling and shipping papers prepared under that classification. Shipping and handling guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet ships with every order and is available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A Technical Data Sheet is available for process and engineering review, and a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is available so your QC team can verify the actual lot against your specification before use. If your purchasing system requires documents up front, request them with your quote and we will send them before the order ships.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
You can source this solvent at the scale you actually use it — the same Reagent grade material is offered from a 1 quart bottle for bench work up to 15 and 55 gallon drums for production, with SDS coverage in four languages and a lot-specific COA behind every shipment. As a Class 3, Packing Group II material, it demands a shipper that handles flammables correctly, and that is our core work: we have been distributing industrial chemicals since 1998 and have served more than 50,000 customers from our Taylor, Texas warehouse. Every ethyl acetate order leaves in rated packaging with the paperwork done right, and the shipping guidance above is reviewed by a DOT Hazmat Specialist.
