Tetrahydrofuran (THF)

About This Product

Tetrahydrofuran, THF or oxolane, is a cyclic ether with the formula C4H8O and CAS number 109-99-9. It is a clear, colourless, low-viscosity liquid boiling at 66 °C, fully miscible with water and with almost every organic solvent. Its value as a solvent comes from the ring oxygen, whose lone pairs are unusually exposed. They coordinate strongly to magnesium and lithium, which is why THF is the standard medium for Grignard reagents and organolithium chemistry, and they let it dissolve polymers such as PVC that resist most solvents. The same reactivity is its main handling risk: exposed to air and light, THF autoxidises to organic peroxides that can concentrate to explosive levels on distillation or evaporation. It is therefore normally supplied stabilised with butylated hydroxytoluene, here at 120 ± 30 µg/g, with peroxides held to 0.003 percent. Water is the other critical limit, because even traces destroy organometallic reagents; this grade is specified at 0.015 percent maximum, and lower-moisture material can be agreed. It is used as a reaction solvent in pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis, in PVC cements, adhesives and coatings, and as the monomer for PTMEG, the polyether glycol behind spandex fibre and polyurethane elastomers. Bio Green Chem supplies THF at 99.95 percent minimum content to specification on colour, water, peroxides and stabiliser, in 180 kg drums or ISO tanks, with other stabiliser levels available on request. It is highly flammable, may form explosive peroxides and is suspected of causing cancer; handle to the safety data sheet.