Triethylamine is a base used to prepare esters and amides from acyl chlorides as well as in the synthesis of quaternary ammonium compounds. It acts as a catalyst in the formation of urethane foams and epoxy resins, dehydrohalogeantion reactions, acid neutralizers for condensation reactions and Swern oxidations. It finds application in reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a mobile-phase modifier. It is also used as an accelerator activator for rubber, as a propellant, as a corrosion inhibitor, as a curing and hardening agent for polymers and for the desalination of seawater. Furthermore, it is used in the automotive casting industry and the textile industry.
