CAC - Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether Acetate — Frequently Asked Questions

No, and this is the important point about CAC. Esterases in the body hydrolyse the acetate back to 2-ethoxyethanol, which is then metabolised to ethoxyacetic acid, the metabolite responsible for the reproductive effects. CAC therefore carries the same EU classification as EE, toxic for reproduction category 1B with H360FD, and the same restrictions apply.

Propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, PMA, is the standard replacement. It provides the same absence of active hydrogen, comparable resin solvency and a similar evaporation rate, but is built on propylene-series chemistry that carries no reproductive toxicity classification. The substitution is well established in coatings, inks and electronics.

For permitted industrial uses where an authorisation or exemption applies. Applications include certain industrial coatings, printing inks, photoresists and electronics processing. Supply is conditional on the end use being permitted in the destination market, and exposure controls should reflect the dermal absorption risk shared with the parent alcohol.

As a typical glycol ether acetate. It has no free hydroxyl so it is inert to isocyanates, it has low water miscibility and is essentially oil-soluble, it dissolves resins strongly, and it evaporates more slowly than the parent alcohol. Technically it is a capable solvent; its displacement is driven entirely by toxicology.