N-Ethylmorpholine

Chemical Properties

4-Ethylmorpholine is a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor.

Physical properties

Colorless, flammable liquid with an ammonia-like odor. Experimentally determined detection and recognition odor threshold concentrations were 400 μg/m³ (85 ppb_v) and 1.2 mg/m³ (250 ppb_v), respectively (Hellman and Small, 1974).

Uses

Catalyst in polyurethane foam production

Uses

Intermediate for dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals; rubber accelerators and emulsifying agents; solvent for dyes, resins, oils; catalyst in making polyurethane foams.

Uses

N-Ethylmorpholine is a component of the buffer used in basic peptide separation through anion-exchange chromatography. Further, it acts as a catalyst in the preparation of polyurethane foam.

Preparation

N-Ethylmorpholine is synthesized by the reaction of morpholine with bromoethane.

Synthesis Reference(s)

The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 56, p. 678, 1991 DOI: 10.1021/jo00002a035
Tetrahedron Letters, 37, p. 6749, 1996 DOI: 10.1016/S0040-4039(96)01458-X

General Description

N-Ethylmorpholine appears as a colorless liquid with a strong ammonia-like odor. Severely irritates skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Moderately soluble in water and less dense than water. Flash point 83°F.

Air & Water Reactions

Highly flammable. Moderately soluble in water .

Reactivity Profile

N-Ethylmorpholine can react vigorously with oxidizing materials. N-Ethylmorpholine dissolves LiAlH4.

Hazard

Irritant to skin and eyes, absorbed by skin. Flammable, moderate fire risk. Toxic by skin absorption.

Health Hazard

Exposure can cause irritation of eyes, nose and throat. Contact with eyes may result in foggy vision and seeing halos around lights.

Flammability and Explosibility

Flammable

Safety Profile

oison by intravenous route. Moderately toxic by ingestion. Mildly toxic by inhalation. A skin and severe eye irritant. A very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame; can react vigorously with oxidzing materials. To fight fire, use alcohol foam, foam, CO2, dry chemical. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of NOx.

Potential Exposure

Primary irritant (without allergic reaction). This material is used as a catalyst in polyurethane foam production. It is a solvent for dyes and resins. It is used as an intermediate in surfactant, dye, pharmaceutical, and rubber chemical manufacture

Environmental Fate

Chemical/Physical. Releases toxic nitrogen oxides when heated to decomposition (Sax and Lewis, 1987).
At an influent concentration of 1,000 mg/L, treatment with GAC resulted in an effluent concentration of 467 mg/L. The adsorbability of the carbon used was 107 mg/g carbon (Guisti et al., 1974).

Shipping

UN2920 Corrosive liquids, flammable, n.o.s., Hazard class: 8; Labels: 8-Corrosive material, 3-Flammable liquid. UN1993 Flammable liquids, n.o.s., Hazard Class: 3; Labels: 3-Flammable liquid, Technical Name Required

Incompatibilities

May form explosive mixture with air. Incompatible with oxidizers (chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine, fluorine,etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep away from alkaline materials, strong bases, strong acids, oxoacids, and epoxides. Corrodes some metals. Unless inhibited, violent polymerization can occur from heat, sunlight, and contact with strong oxidizers permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep away from alkaline materials, strong bases, strong acids, oxoacids, and epoxides. Attacks some plastics, rubber and coatings

Waste Disposal

Controlled incineration (oxides of nitrogen are removed from the effluent gas by scrubbers and/or thermal devices).