Chemical properties
3-Methyl-1-butanol, also called 3-methylbutanol or Isoamyl alcohol, is found in tea leaves, black tea, and green tea. It is a colorless to pale yellow liquid with a clear oily texture. It has a distinct apple brandy scent and a spicy taste. The vapors of this substance are poisonous. It can be mixed well with ethanol and ether, but only slightly dissolves in water. It is a natural component found as esters in various products such as strawberries, peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus oil, and rum, among others.
Uses
(1) 3-Methyl-1-butanol is mainly used for the preparation of apple and banana flavor.
(2) Used as chromatographic reagent and extractant, and also used in the pharmaceutical industry
(3) Used in the manufacture of spices, pharmaceuticals and mineral processing agents, and also used as solvents
(4) This goods have apple brandy aroma and spicy flavor. China's GB 2760-86 provides for its allowable use as food spices, mainly for the preparation of apple and banana flavor. Isoamyl alcohol and sodium nitrite can perform esterification to form isoamyl nitrite, which is the fastest nitrous esters short-acting vasodilator. Isoamyl alcohol can be used to synthesize sedatives and hypnotics, such as bromural and amytal. Isoamyl alcohol can also be used as solvents and the reagents for chemical analysis. It is also used as the raw materials to produce plasticizers and photographic pharmaceutical. In addition, it is one component of the fuel oil.
(5) Used as the solvents of fat, resin and alkaloid. Used for the determination of fat in milk and the determination of iron, silicon, thorium and fusel oil. Also used for the complexation extraction of iron, cobalt, copper salt and diphenylcarbazide. Used for the separation of lithium Chloride from other alkali metal chlorides.
Production methods
Isoamyl alcohol has a characteristic pungent odor and repulsive taste. Industrially prepared by rectification of fusel oil.
(1) This product naturally presents in the form of esters in strawberries, peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus oil and rum and so on. It can be synthesized by acid method or the hydroformylation of C4 alkenes. 3-methyl-1-butanol (85% in the fusel oil) can be obtained by chemical treatment and distillation separation of the fusel oil that is the side products form the alcohol fermentation of starch and sugar.
(2) Derived from fusel oil fractionation. Pentane performs chlorination and hydrolysis reaction to form mixed alcohol, and then isoamyl alcohol can be derived from the mixed alcohol.
Chemical Properties
Isoamyl alcohol has a fusel oil, whiskey-characteristic, pungent odor and repulsive taste. The air odor threshold for 3-methyl-1-butanol was reported as 0.042 ppm , which provides some acute warning for exposure to this chemical.
Physical properties
Clear, colorless liquid with a pungent odor. An odor threshold concentration of 1.7 ppb
v was
reported by Nagata and Takeuchi (1990).
Occurrence
Constitutes the major portion of fusel oil; also known as fermentation of amyl alcohol; it has been identified
as an ester among the constituents of Roman chamomile oil; French peppermint, Java citronella, Réunion geranium, tea, Teucrium
chamaedrys, Eucalyptus amigdalina, Achillea ageratum and Artemisia camphorata. It is reported present in the aromas of strawberry and raspberry. It is also reported found in over 230 natural sources including apple, apricot, banana, sweet and sour cherry,
citrus peel oils and juices, berries, guava, grapes, raisin, melon, papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, asparagus, cabbage, kohlrabi,
celery stalk and seed, leek, peas, potato, sauerkraut, tomato, ginger, mint oils, vinegar, mustard, bread, cheeses, butter, milk, fish，meats, cognac, rum, whiskies, cider, sherry, grape wines, tea, filberts, pecans, walnuts, oats, honey, soybean, avocado, Arctic
bramble, olive, passion fruit, rose and Malay apple, mushroom, mango, tamarind, pear brandy, port, cardamom, gin, quince,
radish, sukiyaki, sake, buckwheat, corn oil, sweet corn, laurel, malt, wort, cherimoya, loquat, Bourbon vanilla, shrimp, oysters,
crayfish, mussels and scallops
Characteristics
Amyl alcohols (pentanols) have eight isomers. All are flammable, colorless liquids, except the isomer 2,2- dimethyl-1-propanol, which is a crystalline solid.
Uses
3-Methyl-1-butanol is used as solvents for oils, fats, resins, and waxes; in the plastics industry in spinning polyacrylonitrile; and in manufacturing lacquers, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. It is also used as flavoring agents and in fragrances. Industrial exposure is principally by the dermal contact and inhalation.
Definition
ChEBI: Isoamylol is an primary alcohol that is butan-1-ol in which a hydrogen at position 3 has been replaced by a methyl group. It has a role as a xenobiotic metabolite, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite and an antifungal agent. It is a primary alcohol, a volatile organic compound and an alkyl alcohol. It derives from a hydride of an isopentane.
Aroma threshold values
Detection: 250 ppb to 4.1 ppm
Taste threshold values
Taste characteristics at 50 ppm: fusel, fermented, fruity, banana, ethereal and cognac
General Description
Colorless liquid with a mild, choking alcohol odor. Less dense than water, soluble in water. Hence floats on water. Produces an irritating vapor.
Air & Water Reactions
Highly flammable. Water soluble.
Reactivity Profile
3-Methyl-1-butanol attacks plastics [Handling Chemicals Safely, 1980. p. 236]. Mixtures with concentrated sulfuric acid and strong hydrogen peroxide may cause explosions. Mixing with hypochlorous acid in water or water/carbon tetrachloride solution can generate isoamyl hypochlorites, which may explode, particularly on exposure to sunlight or heat. Mixing with chlorine would also yield isoamyl hypochlorites [NFPA 491 M, 1991]. Base-catalysed reactions with isocyanates can occur with explosive violence [Wischmeyer,1969].
Hazard
Moderate fire risk. Vapor is toxic and irritant. Explosive limits in air 1.2–9%.
Health Hazard
Very high vapor concentrations irritate eyes and upper respiratory tract. Continued contact with skin may cause irritation.
Biochem/physiol Actions
3-Methyl-1-butanol is a pentanol isomer useful in biofuels. It is used as a starting material for the production of isoamyl acetate, a flavoring agent applicable in the food industry. 3-Methyl-1-butanol shows anti-fungal action by inhibiting the hyphal formation and reducing biofilm formation in Candida albicans. It is also used in DNA extraction protocols.
Potential Exposure
(n-isomer); Suspected reprotoxic hazard,
Primary irritant (w/o allergic reaction), (iso-, primary):
Possible risk of forming tumors, Primary irritant (w/o allergic
reaction), (sec-, active primary-, and other isomers)
Primary irritant (w/o allergic reaction). Used as a solvent in
organic synthesis and synthetic flavoring, pharmaceuticals,
corrosion inhibitors; making plastics and other chemicals;
as a flotation agent. The (n-isomer) is used in preparation
of oil additives, plasticizers, synthetic lubricants, and as a
solvent.
Environmental Fate
Biological. Using the BOD technique to measure biodegradation, the mean 5-d BOD value (mM
BOD/mM isoamyl alcohol) and ThOD were 4.46 and 59.5%, respectively (Vaishnav et al., 1987).
Chemical/Physical. Isoamyl alcohol will not hydrolyze because it has no hydrolyzable
functional group (Kollig, 1993).
Shipping
UN2811 Pentanols, Hazard Class: 3; Labels: 3-
Flammable liquid. UN1987 Alcohols, n.o.s., Hazard Class:
3; Labels: 3-Flammable liquid.
Incompatibilities
Forms an explosive mixture with air.
Contact with strong oxidizers and hydrogen trisulfide may
cause fire and explosions. Incompatible with strong acids.
Violent reaction with alkaline earth metals forming hydrogen,
a flammable gas.
Toxics Screening Level
The initial threshold screening level (ITSL) for isoamyl alcohol is 360 μg/m3 based on an 8 hr. averaging time.
Waste Disposal
Dissolve or mix the material
with a combustible solvent and burn in a chemical incinerator
equipped with an afterburner and scrubber. All federal,
state, and local environmental regulations must be
observed.
