Dioctyl Adipate (DOA)

About This Product

Dioctyl adipate, di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate or DEHA with CAS number 103-23-1, is a clear, low-viscosity liquid made by esterifying adipic acid with 2-ethylhexanol. It is specified where cold flexibility matters, and the reason is structural. Phthalate and terephthalate plasticisers carry a rigid benzene ring at their centre, which limits how freely the molecule can rotate and therefore how much movement it can permit between polymer chains at low temperature. Adipates have a flexible, fully aliphatic six-carbon chain instead, so they keep PVC pliable to around minus 40 degrees Celsius where a phthalate-plasticised compound would have stiffened and cracked. That makes DOA the standard choice for refrigerated and outdoor applications: cling film for chilled food, freezer bags, cold-climate cable and hose, and automotive parts exposed to winter conditions. The trade-off is permanence, since the smaller, more mobile aliphatic molecule is more volatile and more readily extracted by oils and fats than an equivalent phthalate, so it is often used in blends rather than alone. It is used in low-temperature flexible PVC, cling and food wrap film, refrigeration and outdoor cable, synthetic lubricants and in rubber compounding. Bio Green Chem supplies DOA to specification on assay, acidity, water, colour, volatiles and specific gravity.