TB - Triethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether

About This Product

Triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, TB, has the formula C10H22O4 and CAS number 143-22-6. It is a clear colourless liquid of very low volatility and mild odour, and retains water miscibility despite the four-carbon butyl chain, because three ether oxygens and a hydroxyl provide ample hydrophilic character. It represents the far end of a design trade-off that runs through the whole glycol ether family. Solvency for oils and resins comes from the alkyl group; water tolerance and low volatility come from the glycol backbone. Extending both at once, as TB does, gives a solvent that dissolves heavy organic soils, stays fully dissolved in an aqueous formulation and does not evaporate away during use or storage. That is the specification for a cleaner that must work slowly in a soak tank, or a coating additive that must remain functional through the life of the film. The cost is that the solvent never leaves, so it must be compatible with the finished product rather than merely with the process. It is used in heavy-duty and soak-tank cleaners, printing inks, hydraulic fluids, textile processing and as a plasticiser and coupling agent. Bio Green Chem supplies TB to specification on assay, water, acidity, colour, peroxide and residue.