Pentaerythritol

Pentaerythritol
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol
	Other names 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)1,3-propanediol; Pentaerythritol; Hercules P 6; Monopentaerythritol; Tetramethylolmethane; THME; PETP; Pentaerythrite; Pentek; Hercules Aqualon improved technical PE-200
Identifiers
CAS Number	115-77-5 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:134760;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL3186112;
ChemSpider	7984 ;
DrugBank	DB13526;
ECHA InfoCard	100.003.732
EC Number	204-104-9;
KEGG	D08331;
PubChem CID	8285;
RTECS number	RZ2490000;
UNII	SU420W1S6N ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID2026943 ;
	show InChI
	show SMILES
Properties
Chemical formula	C5H12O4
Molar mass	136.15
Appearance	white solid
Density	1.396g/cm3
Melting point	260.5 °C (500.9 °F; 533.6 K)
Boiling point	276 °C (529 °F; 549 K) at 30 mmHg
Solubility in water	5.6 g/100 mL at 15 °C
Solubility	Soluble in methanol, ethanol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, formamide; insoluble in acetone, benzene, paraffin, ether, CCl4
Vapor pressure	0.00000008 mmHg (20°C)
Hazards
Flash point	200.1 °C (392.2 °F; 473.2 K)
	NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)	TWA 15 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp)
REL (Recommended)	TWA 10 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp)
IDLH (Immediate danger)	N.D.
Related compounds
Related compounds	Neopentane, Neopentyl alcohol, Neopentyl glycol, Trimethylolethane
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
	(what is ?)
	Infobox references

Pentaerythritol is an organic compound with the formula C(CH₂OH)₄. Classified as a polyol, it is a white solid. Pentaerythritol is a building block for the synthesis and production of explosives, plastics, paints, appliances, cosmetics, and many other commercial products.

The word pentaerythritol is a blend of penta- in reference to its 5 carbon atoms and erythritol, which also possesses 4 alcohol groups.

Synthesis[]

Pentaerythritol was first reported in 1891 by German chemist Bernhard Tollens and his student P. Wigand.^[3] It may be prepared via a base-catalyzed multiple-addition reaction between acetaldehyde and 3 equivalents of formaldehyde to give pentaerythrose (CAS: 3818-32-4), followed by a Cannizzaro reaction with a fourth equivalent of formaldehyde to give the final product.^[4]

Uses[]

Pentaerythritol is a versatile building block for the preparation of many polyfunctionalized compounds. Derivatives of pentaerythritol are components of alkyd resins, varnishes, polyvinyl chloride stabilizers, tall oil esters, antioxidants (e.g. Anox 20). It can be found in transformer oil, plastics, paints, cosmetics, and many other applications.^[5]^[6]

Polyester derivatives[]

Pentaerythritol is a precursor to esters of the type C(CH₂OX)₄. One such derivative is pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a vasodilator and explosive. The trinitrate derivative is called (Petrin). The tetraacetate is called (PAG). The polymer cross-linking agent pentaerythritol tetraacrylate.^[7]

Fire retardants[]

Pentaerythritol is used as a fire retardant, such as in plastics.^{[citation needed]} It produces a thick carbon barrier upon heating, protecting the surface substrate.

Pentaerythritol is one of the most common main active components in intumescent paints and coatings. It acts as a carbon donor and together with an acid donor, most commonly ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and a blowing agent, most commonly melamine.

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry: IUPAC Recommendations and Preferred Names 2013 (Blue Book). Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry. 2014. p. 691. doi:10.1039/9781849733069-FP001. ISBN 978-0-85404-182-4.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0485". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
^ Tollens, B.; Wigand, P. (1891). "Ueber den Penta-Erythrit, einen aus Formaldehyd und Acetaldehyd synthetisch hergestellten vierwerthigen Alkohol (On pentaerythritol, a quaternary alcohol synthetically produced from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde)". Justus Liebig's Annalen der Chemie (in German). 265 (3): 316–340. doi:10.1002/jlac.18912650303.
^ Schurink, H. B. J. (1925). "Pentaerythritol". Organic Syntheses. 4: 53. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.004.0053.; Collective Volume, 1, p. 425
^ NPCS Board of Consultants & Engineers (2016). The Complete Book on Adhesives, Glues & Resins Technology (with Process & Formulations) 2nd Revised Edition.
^ NIIR Board of Engineers & Consultants (2005). Synthetic Resins Technology Handbook.
^ S. F. Marrian (1948). "The Chemical Reactions of Pentaerythritol and its Derivatives". Chemical Reviews. 43 (1): 149–202. doi:10.1021/cr60134a004. PMID 18876970.

[iupac2013-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry: IUPAC Recommendations and Preferred Names 2013 (Blue Book). Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry. 2014. p. 691. doi:10.1039/9781849733069-FP001. ISBN 978-0-85404-182-4.

[PGCH-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0485". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

[3] Tollens, B.; Wigand, P. (1891). "Ueber den Penta-Erythrit, einen aus Formaldehyd und Acetaldehyd synthetisch hergestellten vierwerthigen Alkohol (On pentaerythritol, a quaternary alcohol synthetically produced from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde)". Justus Liebig's Annalen der Chemie (in German). 265 (3): 316–340. doi:10.1002/jlac.18912650303.

[Schurink1941-4] Schurink, H. B. J. (1925). "Pentaerythritol". Organic Syntheses. 4: 53. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.004.0053.; Collective Volume, 1, p. 425

[5] NPCS Board of Consultants & Engineers (2016). The Complete Book on Adhesives, Glues & Resins Technology (with Process & Formulations) 2nd Revised Edition.

[6] NIIR Board of Engineers & Consultants (2005). Synthetic Resins Technology Handbook.

[7] S. F. Marrian (1948). "The Chemical Reactions of Pentaerythritol and its Derivatives". Chemical Reviews. 43 (1): 149–202. doi:10.1021/cr60134a004. PMID 18876970.

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