PMA - Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Acetate

About This Product

Propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, PMA or PGMEA, has the formula C6H12O3 and CAS number 108-65-6. It is produced by acetylating PM and is supplied as a clear colourless liquid with a mild ester odour. It is the most widely used glycol ether acetate, for two distinct reasons. In coatings, esterifying the hydroxyl removes the active hydrogen, so PMA can be used in two-pack polyurethane systems where a free alcohol would react with the isocyanate, and it offers strong resin solvency with a moderate evaporation rate that suits both spray and baking finishes. In electronics it has become the industry standard carrier for photoresists: it dissolves the novolac and chemically amplified resins used in photolithography, wets silicon uniformly and evaporates cleanly without residue. Semiconductor grade is specified far beyond ordinary industrial purity, with metals controlled at parts per billion and particle counts specified, because a single metal ion in the wrong place ruins a wafer. Grade should therefore be stated explicitly at enquiry, as coatings grade and electronics grade are not interchangeable. It is used in photoresist and semiconductor processing, automotive and industrial coatings, two-pack polyurethanes, printing inks and electronic cleaning. Bio Green Chem supplies PMA in industrial and high-purity grades to specification on assay, water, acidity, metals, particles and colour.