Diisopropyl Ether (IPE)

About This Product

Diisopropyl ether, also sold as isopropyl ether, DIPE or IPE, has the formula C6H14O and CAS number 108-20-3. It is a clear, colourless, volatile liquid with an ethereal odour, boiling at about 68 °C, and only slightly soluble in water. It is largely obtained as a co-product of isopropanol manufacture by propylene hydration, and it is valued as an extraction solvent because it separates cleanly from water, has a low heat of vaporisation and a boiling point that allows gentle recovery. Its low water solubility and good selectivity for acetic acid made it the solvent of choice in several processes for recovering acetic acid from dilute aqueous streams. The property every user must plan around is peroxide formation. Diisopropyl ether autoxidises faster than most common ethers, because each carbon next to the oxygen carries a readily abstracted hydrogen, and its peroxides can reach hazardous levels in storage without the solvent being concentrated. It is therefore normally supplied stabilised, and containers should be dated, kept closed and tested for peroxides before use or distillation. It is used as an extraction solvent in pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacture, in acetic acid recovery, as a solvent for oils, fats, waxes and resins, and as a reaction medium. Bio Green Chem supplies diisopropyl ether at 99 percent minimum purity in 140 kg drums or ISO tanks, with the stabiliser and full specification confirmed with the quotation. It is highly flammable and may form explosive peroxides; handle to the safety data sheet.