Industry Grade 99% Ethylene Carbonate CAS 96-49-1

What is ethylene carbonate? What are its uses?

I. What is Ethylene carbonate?

Ethylene carbonate (EC) is a cyclic carbonate formed from ethylene glycol and carbonic acid. It is also one of the most important solvents in lithium-ion battery electrolytes. Its chemical formula is usually written as:

C3H4O3 (CAS No.: 96-49-1, molecular weight approximately 88.06, EINECS No.: 202-510-0)

It is a colorless needle-like or plate-like crystal at room temperature, and melts into a transparent colorless liquid above 35°C. Its melting point is approximately 35-38°C, boiling point approximately 248°C, relative density approximately 1.32-1.43, and flash point approximately 160°C. It is readily soluble in water and organic solvents such as alcohols, ethers, and ketones. Ethylene carbonate is a typical highly polar cyclic carbonate with a very high dielectric constant (approximately 90 at 40°C) and a relatively high viscosity.

From a molecular structure perspective, ethylene carbonate molecules consist of a five-membered cyclic carbonate ring, with the oxygen atom on the ring making it a highly polar solvent. This high polarity endows it with excellent solubility and reactivity: it has strong solubility in polymer materials, making it suitable as a stripping agent, detergent, and adhesive remover; as a carbonate, it can participate in transesterification, cyclization, and other reactions, making it a commonly used reagent in laboratory organic synthesis—this combination of "strong solubility + active reactivity" forms the functional basis for its applications in scientific research and consumer fields.

Chemically, ethylene carbonate is relatively stable at room temperature and pressure, but contact with strong oxidizing and reducing agents should be avoided. It has strong solubility in polymer materials. It should be stored in a sealed, moisture-proof container, away from open flames.

The non-electronic, non-industrial grade ethylene carbonate includes products for research and consumer applications, mainly reagent grade specifications. In the electronic and industrial grades, these specifications place greater emphasis on the following indicators:

Range of melting point

The melting point (around 35~38℃) is a traditional criterion for purity and should be within the specified range.

Moisture

Moisture affects the stability of experimental and synthetic reactions and needs to be kept at a low level.

chromaticity

It should be colorless or slightly yellow; abnormal color often indicates impurities or oxidation.

What are the uses of Ethylene carbonate?

1. Lithium-ion battery electrolyte solvent (core industrial application)

Ethylene carbonate is the most important solvent component in lithium-ion battery electrolytes. Its high dielectric constant effectively dissociates and dissolves lithium salts such as lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and forms a stable SEI film on the negative electrode surface. It accounts for 20% to 35% of the electrolyte mixture solvent and is a fundamental raw material for the lithium-ion battery industry , including mobile phones and electric vehicles . Ethylene carbonate is also used in the electrolyte production of lithium-ion batteries for power tools, electric bicycles, and portable energy storage devices . Various battery-powered devices around us are all related to it.

2. High-purity electronic chemicals

Electronic grade ethylene carbonate is a high-purity solvent used in the manufacture of electronic chemicals, including capacitor electrolytes and electronic cleaning agents, that help ensure the performance and reliability of electronic devices.

3. Research on new battery technologies (research level)

Ethylene carbonate is also a significant solvent and reference system in the research of novel battery systems like solid electrolytes and sodium-ion batteries, contributing to the development of next-generation energy storage technologies.

4. Manufacture of electronic products (indirect contact)

Ethylene carbonate has a high solubility to polymer materials and can be used as a stripping agent and a cleaning agent in the electronics manufacturing industry. It may play an indirect role in the manufacturing chain of electronic products.

5. Scientific research and laboratory applications (reagent grade, core applications)

Ethylene carbonate is a commonly used cyclic carbonate reagent in the laboratory. It can be used as a solvent and reagent in organic synthesis (participating in reactions such as transesterification, cyclization, and alkylation). It is also an important medium for electrochemistry, polymer dissolution, and green chemistry research. High-purity grades are used in scientific research experiments with strict purity requirements.

6. Organic synthesis intermediates

Ethylene carbonate is an important intermediate in the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate, and other carbonates, as well as ethylene glycol (ethylene carbonate process). It participates in transesterification, cyclization, and other reactions, and is a key raw material in the fine chemical industry chain.

7. Polymer processing solvents

Ethylene carbonate has strong solubility for polymers such as polyacrylonitrile and is used as a spinning solvent for acrylic fibers (polyacrylonitrile fibers) to help improve the fiber feel and dyeing effect, thus serving the textile printing and dyeing industry.

8. Gas purification solvent

Ethylene carbonate can be used as a desulfurization and decarbonization solvent in gas purification processes, absorbing acidic components in gases, and is applied to the purification of industrial gases such as natural gas and syngas.

9. Fiber finishing and dyeing auxiliaries

Ethylene carbonate can be used as finishing agent and dyeing auxiliary agent for textile fibers, which can improve the hand feel and dyeing effect of fibers, serving the textile printing and dyeing industry.

10. Household Adhesive Removal and Cleaning (Consumer Grade)

Ethylene carbonate is easily soluble with polymeric materials, so it is often used in everyday cleaning, such as removing glue residue, cleaning label glue and chewing gum, and is an efficient component of "dissolving" cleaning agents.

11. Teaching and Popular Science Experiments

Ethylene carbonate can be used in chemical teaching demonstrations and experiments to assist learners in comprehending the structure, properties and reactions of cyclic carbonates. It is a common reagent used in teaching in university chemistry labs.

Summarize

Ethylene carbonate (EC) is a cyclic carbonate, which is crystalline at room temperature and liquid above 35 °C. It has a high dielectric constant, good reactivity and strong solubility, so it is one of the most important solvents of lithium-ion battery electrolytes. In life, we indirectly touch it through lithium-ion batteries in mobile phones, laptops, new energy vehicles, power tools and energy storage devices. Its production chain is related to the textile and chemical industries. Apart from electronics and industry, reagent-grade ethylene carbonate is widely used in scientific research and laboratories, fine chemical synthesis, household adhesive removal and cleaning, model making and crafts and teaching experiments, making it an important cyclic carbonate product bridging "daily use" with "scientific research, health and consumption."