DB - Diethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether

About This Product

Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, DB, DEGBE or butyl carbitol, has the formula C8H18O3 and CAS number 112-34-5. It is a clear colourless liquid with a very high boiling point, above 220 degrees Celsius, and remains fully miscible with water despite its four-carbon butyl chain. That combination is unusual and is the reason for its position in cleaning chemistry. Most solvents with enough hydrocarbon character to dissolve heavy grease have poor water tolerance, so they separate out of an aqueous formulation. DB carries two ether oxygens and a hydroxyl on its backbone, enough hydrophilic character to stay dissolved, while the butyl group provides real grease-cutting power. Its very low volatility means it does not flash off from a hot surface or a soak tank, so it keeps working through an extended contact time and does not contribute significantly to VOC or to solvent odour in the workplace. In coatings it serves as a slow tail solvent and coalescent, and it is also used as a hydraulic and brake fluid component. It is used in heavy-duty and industrial cleaners, water-based coatings, printing inks, brake and hydraulic fluids and textile processing. Bio Green Chem supplies DB to specification on assay, water, acidity, colour, peroxide and residue.