Product Safety Assessment ESTASOL™ Oxygenated Solvent

Product Safety Assessment
ESTASOL Oxygenated Solvent
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Names
Product Overview
Manufacture of Product
Product Description
Product Uses
Exposure Potential
Health Information
Environmental Information
Physical Hazard Information
Regulatory Information
Additional Information
References
Names
• ESTASOL oxygenated
solvent
• CAS No. 95481-62-2
• Dibasic esters • Dimethyl esters
• Dimethyl succinate • CAS No. 106-65-0 • Dimethyl butanedioate
• Dimethyl adipate • CAS No. 627-93-0 • Dimethyl hexanedioate
• Dimethyl glutarate • CAS No. 1119-40-0 • Dimethyl pentanedioate
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Product Overview
• ESTASOL oxygenated solvent is a mixture of dibasic esters including dimethyl succinate,
dimethyl adipate, and dimethyl glutarate. This product is a clear, colorless liquid with a mild
odor. It has excellent solvency, low vapor pressure, low miscibility with water, and high
miscibility with most organic solvents. 1 For further details, see Product Description.
• Dibasic esters are used as plasticizers, polymer intermediates, specialty chemical
intermediates, and solvents in industrial coatings, industrial cleaners, paint thinners, and inks.
ESTASOL solvent is also used in specialty adhesives, as an agricultural carrier solvent, and
as a foundry core binder. For further details, see Product Uses.
• Dow does not sell this product for direct consumer use, but it may be used in some products,
such as paint thinners and cleaning products, that may be used by consumers. For further
details, see Exposure Potential.
• Eye contact with dibasic esters may result in irritation or corneal injury. The dibasic esters in
ESTASOL solvent are not skin irritants. Inhalation of vapor may cause irritation of the nose
and throat. ESTASOL solvent has very low toxicity if swallowed. 2,3 For further details, see
Health Information.
• ESTASOL solvent is readily biodegradable, unlikely to accumulate in the food chain, and
slightly to moderately toxic to fish and aquatic organisms. 4,5
• Dibasic esters are stable at typical storage and use temperatures, but may decompose at
elevated temperatures. Avoid contact with oxidizing materials. 6 For further details, see
Physical Hazard Information.
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Product Safety Assessment: ESTASOL Oxygenated Solvent
Manufacture of Product
• Process – Dibasic esters are produced by reacting a mixed stream of adipic, glutaric, and
succinic (AGS) acids with methanol under acidic conditions, followed by distillation to recover
the mixed dibasic esters. The reaction is shown below.
HO
HO
HO
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O
O
O
Adipic acid
Glutaric acid
O
O
O
OH
OH
CH 3OH
acid
H3CO
H3CO
H3CO
OCH3
Created: March 26, 2009 The Dow Chemical Company Page 2 of 6
O
O
Dimethyl glutarate
O O
OH
OCH3 Succinic acid Dimethyl succinate
O
Dimethyl adipate
O
OCH 3
Product Description 7,8
ESTASOL oxygenated solvent is a mixture of dimethyl succinate (CAS No. 106-65-0, 15–25%),
dimethyl adipate (CAS No. 627-93-0, 12–23%), and dimethyl glutarate (CAS No. 1119-40-0, 55–
65%). The product is a clear, colorless liquid with a mild odor and has excellent solvency, low
vapor pressure, low miscibility with water, and high miscibility with most organic solvents. It is
marketed for Dow Haltermann Custom Processing through a variety of distributors.
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Product Uses 9,10
Dibasic esters are used as plasticizers, polymer intermediates, specialty chemical intermediates,
and solvents in industrial coatings, industrial cleaners, paint thinners, and inks.
ESTASOL oxygenated solvent is used in can and coil coatings, foundry core binders, acrylic
lacquers, wood finishes, printing inks, and paint strippers. It is also used in various industrial
cleaning applications, including metal degreasing, GRP-resin (glass reinforced plastic) cleaning,
hand cleaning, etc., as well as in grouting, sealants and wax formulations. ESTASOL oxygenated
solvent is often blended with other solvents to provide optimization of properties in formulations.
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Exposure Potential 11,12
Dibasic esters are used in the production of industrial and consumer products. Based on the uses
for these products, the public could be exposed through:
• Workplace exposure – Exposure can occur either in a dibasic esters manufacturing facility
or in the various industrial or manufacturing facilities that use this product. It is produced,
distributed, stored, and consumed in closed systems. Those working with this product in
manufacturing operations could be exposed during maintenance, sampling, testing, or other
procedures. Each manufacturing facility should have a thorough training program for
employees and appropriate work processes and safety equipment in place to limit
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Product Safety Assessment: ESTASOL Oxygenated Solvent
unnecessary exposure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed an
initial risk-based prioritization of the High Production Volume Chemicals, including the dibasic
esters category. The U.S. EPA assumes that there are potential exposures to
manufacturers, commercial workers and/or consumers from the use of products containing
dibasic esters, with paint stripping uses presenting the potential for high exposures to
individuals working in poorly ventilated areas. Available data used in the EPA’s assessment
suggests a low concern for potential risk to [manufacturing] workers, but a medium concern
for potential risk to commercial workers and consumers. See Health Information.
• Consumer exposure to products containing dibasic esters – Dow does not sell this
product for direct consumer use, but it may be used in some products, such as paint thinners
and coatings, that are used by consumers. The U.S. EPA concluded that the risk for
exposure to the general population from environmental releases is low. The potential risk to
children as a subset of the general consumer population is considered low given that the
typical consumer uses of dibasic esters do not involve children. See Health Information.
• Environmental releases – Dibasic esters may be released to air by evaporation from
cleaners, paint thinners and strippers, coatings and other products containing them.
However, because they are highly soluble, once introduced to water, dibasic esters will tend
to remain dissolved in water. Because the compounds are readily biodegradable, they will be
removed by sewage treatment plants. In the event of a spill, the focus is on containing the
spill to prevent contamination of soil and surface or ground water. For small spills, the product
should be absorbed with materials such as sand or sawdust. Collect recovered material in
properly labeled containers and dispose of it according to applicable government
requirements. See Environmental, Health, and Physical Hazard Information.
• Large release – Industrial spills or releases are infrequent and generally contained. If a large
spill does occur, the material should be captured, collected, and reprocessed or disposed of
according to applicable governmental requirements. An approved respirator with an organic
vapor cartridge is recommended for emergency work. See Environmental and Physical
Hazard Information.
• In case of fire – Isolate the fire and deny unnecessary entry into the area. Use water spray
or fog, dry-chemical or carbon-dioxide extinguishers, or foam to extinguish the fire. Use of a
direct water stream may spread fire. Firefighters should wear positive pressure, selfcontained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) and protective fire-fighting clothing. Follow emergency
procedures carefully. See Health and Physical Hazard Information.
For more information, see the relevant Safety Data Sheet.
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Health Information 13,14
Eye contact with dibasic esters may result in irritation or corneal injury. These materials are not
skin irritants. Prolonged skin contact is unlikely to result in absorption of harmful amounts.
Inhalation of vapor may cause irritation of the nose and throat. Dibasic esters have very low
toxicity if swallowed; swallowing amounts incidental to normal handling is not harmful. However,
swallowing may result in gastrointestinal irritation. ESTASOL oxygenated solvent is not
mutagenic nor is it a reproductive or developmental toxicant.
For more information, see the relevant Safety Data Sheet.
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Product Safety Assessment: ESTASOL Oxygenated Solvent
Environmental Information 15,16
Dibasic esters are moderately volatile, and may evaporate from products containing them.
However, because they are highly soluble in water, once introduced, they have a tendency to
remain in water. Dibasic esters have minimal tendency to bind to soil or sediment.
Dibasic esters are unlikely to persist in the environment. The compounds are readily
biodegradable, which suggests they will be rapidly and completely removed from water and soil
environments, including biological wastewater treatment plants.
Dibasic esters are not likely to accumulate in the food chain (bioconcentration potential is low)
and are slightly to moderately toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms on an acute basis.
The U.S. EPA risk-based prioritization of the dibasic esters assumes that there is potential for
exposure to aquatic organisms from environmental releases. However, the low acute aquatic
hazard and the overall environmental fate characteristics (e.g., not persistent or bioaccumulative)
of all members of the dibasic esters category suggests a low concern for potential risk to aquatic
organisms from environmental releases. Supporting documents can be accessed at the following
links: Dibasic esters Web RBP 031308 (PDF) and Dibasic esters Web Support Docs
031808 (PDF)
For more information, see the relevant Safety Data Sheet.
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Physical Hazard Information 17
Dibasic esters are stable at typical storage and use temperatures, but may decompose at
elevated temperatures. Avoid contact with oxidizing materials.
For more information, see the relevant Safety Data Sheet.
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Regulatory Information
Regulations may exist that govern the manufacture, sale, transportation, use, and/or disposal of
dibasic esters. These regulations may vary by city, state, country, or geographic region.
Information may be found by consulting the relevant Safety Data Sheet or Contact Us.
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Additional Information
• Safety Data Sheet
• Contact Us (http://www.dow.com/custproc/contact/index.htm)
• “ESTASOL – Higher Purity Dibasic Ester from Dow Haltermann Custom Processing,”
Multisol Group Ltd., Greater Manchester, England, (http://www.multisolgroup.com/Estasolhigher-purity-DBE-from-Dow-Haltermann.pdf)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency HPV Information System website – search relevant
CAS No. (http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.RBP.031308.pdf,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.SupportDocs.031808.pdf)
For more business information about ESTASOL dibasic esters, visit the Dow Haltermann Custom
Processing web site at http://www.dow.com/custproc/.
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Product Safety Assessment: ESTASOL Oxygenated Solvent
References
1 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, page 3.
2 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 1 and 4.
3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency High Production Volume Information System.
(http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.RBP.031308.pdf,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.SupportDocs.031808.pdf)
4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency High Production Volume Information System.
(http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.RBP.031308.pdf,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.SupportDocs.031808.pdf)
5 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, page 5.
6 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 3 and 4.
7 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 1, 2, and 3–4.
8 “ESTASOL – Higher Purity Dibasic Ester from Dow Haltermann Custom Processing,” Multisol
Group Ltd., Greater Manchester, England, page 1.
9 Technical Data Sheet ESTASOL HP Oxygenated Solvents, The Dow Chemical Company,
Form No. 114-00061, June, 2008.
10 The Dow Chemical Company: Dow Haltermann Custom Processing Products: ESTASOL
Oxygenated Solvents.
(http://www.dow.com/custproc/products/estasol.htm)
11 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 2 and 3.
12 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency High Production Volume Information System.
((http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.RBP.031308.pdf,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.SupportDocs.031808.pdf))
13 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 1 and 4.
14 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency High Production Volume Information System.
(http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.RBP.031308.pdf,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.SupportDocs.031808.pdf)
15 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 4–5.
16 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency High Production Volume Information System.
(http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.RBP.031308.pdf,
http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/rbp/Dibasic%20esters.Web.SupportDocs.031808.pdf)
17 ESTASOL [Oxygenated Solvent] Material Data Safety Sheet, The Dow Chemical Company,
5/23/07, pages 3 and 4.
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Product Safety Assessment: ESTASOL Oxygenated Solvent
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