Ethyl formate
Encyclopedia
Ethyl formate is an ester
formed when ethanol
(an alcohol
) reacts with formic acid
(a carboxylic acid
). It is also known as ethyl methanoate because formic acid is also known as methanoic acid. Ethyl formate has the characteristic smell of rum
and is also partially responsible for the flavor of raspberries
.
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), ethyl formate can irritate eyes, skin, mucous membrane
s, and the respiratory system
of humans and other animals; it is also a central nervous system
depressant
. In industry, it is used as a solvent for cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate
, oils, and greases. It can be used as a substitute for acetone
; workers may also be exposed to it under the following circumstances:
OSHA considers a time-weighted average of 100 parts per million (300 milligrams per cubic meter) over an eight-hour period as the permissible exposure limit
.
. The astronomers, from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
in Bonn, Germany, used the 30 metre
IRAM radiotelescope
in Spain to analyse the spectra of radiation emitted from hot regions near a new star. It is among 50 molecules identified by the astronomers.
Ester
Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...
formed when ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
(an alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
) reacts with formic acid
Formic acid
Formic acid is the simplest carboxylic acid. Its chemical formula is HCOOH or HCO2H. It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in the venom of bee and ant stings. In fact, its name comes from the Latin word for ant, formica, referring to its early...
(a carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...
). It is also known as ethyl methanoate because formic acid is also known as methanoic acid. Ethyl formate has the characteristic smell of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
and is also partially responsible for the flavor of raspberries
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
.
Exposure
Ethyl methanoate is generally recognized as safeGenerally recognized as safe
Generally recognized as safe is an American Food and Drug Administration designation that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts, and so is exempted from the usual Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act food additive tolerance requirements.-History:On January 1, 1958,...
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
(OSHA), ethyl formate can irritate eyes, skin, mucous membrane
Mucous membrane
The mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs...
s, and the respiratory system
Respiratory system
The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
of humans and other animals; it is also a central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
depressant
Depressant
A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug or endogenous compound that depresses the function or activity of a specific part of the brain...
. In industry, it is used as a solvent for cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate
Cellulose acetate
Cellulose acetate , first prepared in 1865, is the acetate ester of cellulose. Cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some adhesives, and as a frame material for eyeglasses; it is also used as a synthetic fiber and in the manufacture of cigarette filters and...
, oils, and greases. It can be used as a substitute for acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
; workers may also be exposed to it under the following circumstances:
- during spray, brush, or dip applications of lacquerLacquerIn a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
s - during the manufacture of safety glassSafety glassSafety glass is glass with additional safety features. Designs include:* Toughened glass * Laminated glass* Wire mesh glass...
- when fumigatingFumigationFumigation is a method of pest control that completely fills an area with gaseous pesticides—or fumigants—to suffocate or poison the pests within. It is utilized for control of pests in buildings , soil, grain, and produce, and is also used during processing of goods to be imported or...
tobacco, cereals, and dried fruitDried fruitDried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
s (as an alternative to methyl bromide under the U.S. Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
quarantine system)
OSHA considers a time-weighted average of 100 parts per million (300 milligrams per cubic meter) over an eight-hour period as the permissible exposure limit
Permissible Exposure Limit
The permissible exposure limit is a legal limit in the United States for exposure of an employee to a chemical substance or physical agent. For chemicals, the chemical regulation is usually expressed in parts per million , or sometimes in milligrams per cubic metre . Units of measure for physical...
.
In space
Astronomers have identified ethyl formate in dust clouds in an area of the Milky Way galaxy called Sagittarius B2Sagittarius B2
Sagittarius B2 is a giant molecular cloud of gas and dust that is located about from the center of the Milky Way. This complex is the largest molecular cloud in the vicinity of the core and one of the largest in the galaxy, spanning a region about across. The total mass of Sgr B2 is about 3...
. The astronomers, from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
The Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy is located in Bonn, Germany. It is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Society .-History:...
in Bonn, Germany, used the 30 metre
IRAM 30-m
The IRAM 30-m Millimeter Radio Telescope is a radio telescope for astronomical observations in the millimeter range of wavelengths, operated by the Institute for Radio Astronomy in the Millimeter Range ) and located on the Sierra Nevada, in Spain, close to the Pico Veleta peak. It is the largest...
IRAM radiotelescope
Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique
The Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique operates two observatories for radio astronomy at millimeter wavelengths, which are open to the international astronomical community: the 30-m single-dish radio telescope located on Pico Veleta in the Spanish Sierra Nevada , and the six-antenna...
in Spain to analyse the spectra of radiation emitted from hot regions near a new star. It is among 50 molecules identified by the astronomers.