Butyl Cellosolve for Furniture Finishing

Butyl cellosolve is an important solvent in finishing industry. Butyl cellosolve (also called Glycol Ether EB or water miscible glycol ether) is a solvent with a very low evaporation rate. This solvent has a lower evaporation rate than the water. His ability to solve the resin and paint and dissolve each other with water made the butyl cellosolve the important element in the coating thinner. Butyl cellosolve serves as a “bridge” between the water and the resin. He helps to make the process of coalescing the waterbase coating. In the application of the waterbase coatings, the drying process is started with the evaporation of the water as the main thinner. After all the water has evaporated, the curing and coalescing of the coating is done by the evaporation of the glycol ether that is left in the mixture. Finally, the dry and hard film is built when all the solvents have evaporated. 

Butyl cellosolve is also used some in the solvent-base coating. It can be used to thin the synthetic and enamel coatings. Some finishing material suppliers add butyl cellosolve in the lacquer thinner. The butyl cellosolve in the thinner makes the lacquer dry slower; it acts as a retarder. But since it has the character to absorb water, then the uses of butyl cellosolve should be properly controlled. Too much butyl cellosolve can result in problems at the film layer, such as blushing or soft film. Moreover, this solvent cannot be used in the finishing materials that are sensitive to the water. The solvent-base PU coating cannot contain this solvent. The water in butyl cellosolve will react with the isocyanate and interfere with the drying process.

The other uses are for disinfectant and cleaner liquids for industrial and household stuff. This material is also used as a rust remover to clean the rust on the surface of iron. This material can also be added some into the paint thinner or acetone to wash off the finishing material layer. It will help the washing process for the one-component coating film layer, such as NC, water-based, and other 1-component finishing material.

The physical properties of the butyl cellosolve can be viewed below:

Specific Gravity                             :  0.9

Boiling Point:                                  : 171°C

Evaporation Rate                            :   0.06 ( Evaporation of  Butylacetate = 1)

Vapor Density                                 :   4.07  

Solubility in Water                           :   100% soluble    

Auto ignition Temperature               :   Not applicable 

Flash Point                                      :  160°C 

 the data is from: http://www.sciencestuff.com/msds/C1396.html