Product Overview
Methyl n-Propyl Ketone (MPK), also identified as 2-Pentanone, is a clear colorless liquid ketone solvent offered in Reagent grade. Its moderate evaporation rate and effective solvency make it a working solvent across coatings formulation, parts cleaning, extraction, and organic synthesis. CAS 107-87-9.
This listing is built for buyers who need a solvent that dissolves a broad range of resins and organics while still being manageable in an open-shop environment — coatings formulators, QC labs running extractions, and manufacturing operations that need a reliable degreasing or cleaning solvent. Available from 1-quart bottles through 55-gallon drums, scaling from bench work to full production runs.
Why This Grade
Reagent grade is the designation buyers specify when their process demands a documented purity level above standard technical or industrial supply. Labs performing analytical extractions, facilities formulating coatings where solvent residue affects film clarity, and synthesis operations where side reactions from impurities create downstream problems — these are the workflows where Reagent grade MPK earns its place in the purchase order.
The practical trade-off is cost. Reagent grade commands a premium over industrial supply. If your application is bulk parts cleaning or general degreasing where trace impurities do not affect the outcome, a technical-grade solvent may be sufficient. But where purity matters to the result — residue-sensitive coatings, quantitative extraction, or intermediate synthesis — the Reagent designation is what procurement should specify.
Chemical Profile
MPK is a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic acetone-like odor sometimes compared to fingernail polish. Its molecular formula is C5H10O with a molecular weight of 86.13 g/mol (CAS 107-87-9). The liquid has a density of 0.809 g/cm³ — less dense than water, so it floats on an aqueous surface. Solubility in water falls in the range of 10 to 50 mg/mL at 72 °F, making it partially miscible: enough water solubility to be relevant in aqueous wash steps, but not so high that it cannot be separated by simple phase cuts. Vapor pressure sits at 12 mmHg at 68 °F, rising to 16 mmHg at 77 °F and 21 mmHg at 86 °F, so evaporation accelerates noticeably with modest temperature increases. Vapors are heavier than air and will accumulate in low spots — a fact that matters for ventilation design in any space where MPK is used open.
Industrial Applications
MPK finds its widest use as a solvent across several manufacturing sectors. Each application leverages a different aspect of its solvency, evaporation behavior, or chemical reactivity.
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Coatings and paints. MPK dissolves a broad family of resins used in industrial coatings — alkyds, acrylics, vinyls. Its evaporation rate sits between fast-flashing acetone and slower glycol ethers, giving formulators a mid-range solvent that keeps the coating open long enough for leveling without dragging out cure times. It blends well with other solvents in multi-component systems.
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Industrial cleaning. As a cleaning solvent, MPK cuts oils, greases, and cured adhesive residues from tooling and equipment surfaces. Its partial water miscibility allows it to work alongside aqueous rinse stages in cleaning lines.
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Organic synthesis. MPK serves as a reaction solvent and intermediate in the synthesis of organic compounds. Its ketone functionality participates in condensation reactions, and its solvency keeps reactants and intermediates in solution through multi-step sequences.
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Extraction. In pharmaceutical and natural-product extraction, MPK is used to pull target compounds from aqueous mixtures or plant matrices. Its density (lighter than water) and partial miscibility make liquid-liquid extraction straightforward — the organic phase separates cleanly on standing.
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Adhesive formulation. Adhesive manufacturers incorporate MPK to control open time and viscosity in solvent-based adhesive systems, particularly where the substrate requires a medium-evaporation solvent to achieve proper wetting before the bond sets.
Handling & Storage
MPK carries a GHS signal word of Danger. The governing hazard statements are: H225 — highly flammable liquid and vapor; H302 — harmful if swallowed; H319 — causes serious eye irritation; H335 — may cause respiratory irritation (per the product's GHS classification). The flash point is 45 °F, placing this squarely in the flammable-liquid category that demands ignition-source control in any area where it is stored or dispensed.
Store in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat, sparks, and open flame. Keep containers sealed when not in use — the vapor pressure is high enough that an open drum in a warm shop will lose measurable volume and create a vapor-accumulation hazard. Use containers compatible with ketone solvents: HDPE, glass, or lined steel. Avoid contact with strong oxidizing agents and concentrated acids.
Operators should wear chemical-splash goggles and solvent-resistant gloves (nitrile or butyl rubber) at minimum. In poorly ventilated spaces or during drum transfers, respiratory protection rated for organic vapors is warranted. Vapors are heavier than air and will settle into pits, drains, and enclosed low areas — verify ventilation reaches floor level.
Hazmat & Shipping
MPK is regulated for transport as a flammable liquid. The full DOT classification:
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UN Number: UN1249 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Hazard Class: 3 — Flammable Liquid (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Packing Group: II (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Proper Shipping Name: Methyl propyl ketone (per 49 CFR 172.101)
All shipments from our Taylor, TX facility are prepared, marked, and labeled by trained hazmat personnel in accordance with 49 CFR. Shipping documentation, including hazmat shipping papers, accompanies every outbound package.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) ships with every order. SDS documents are available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA) is also available — contact us to request a COA for your shipment. A Technical Data Sheet (TDS) is on file for this product.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
This MPK listing ships in pack sizes from 1-quart bottles to 55-gallon drums, with SDS documentation in four languages and lot-specific COAs available on request — the paperwork your receiving dock and EHS team actually need. Alliance Chemical has operated as a chemical distributor since 1998, serving over 50,000 customers from our warehouse at 204 S Edmond St, Taylor, Texas. Product and shipping guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist (USDOT Registration #2188383).
