Methyl methacrylate
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| Methyl methacrylate | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Systematic name | methyl 2-methylprop-2-enoate |
| Other names | MMA, 2-(methoxycarbonyl)-1-propene |
| Molecular formula | C5H8O2 |
| SMILES | CC(=C)C(=O)OC |
| Molar mass | 100.12 g/mol |
| Appearance | clear colourless liquid |
| CAS number | [80-62-6] |
| Properties | |
| Density and phase | 0.94 g/cm3 |
| Solubility in water | 1.5 g/100 ml (25 °C) |
| In organic solvents | Soluble |
| Melting point | -48 °C (225 K) |
| Boiling point | 101 °C (374 K) |
| Basicity (pKb) | ? |
| Viscosity | 0.6 cP at 20 °C |
| Structure | |
| Dipole moment | ? D |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | External MSDS |
| Main hazards | flammable |
| Flash point | 2 °C (autoignition 435 °C) |
| R/S statement | R: ? S: ? |
| RTECS number | OZ5075000 |
| Supplementary data page | |
| Structure & properties | n, εr, etc. |
| Thermodynamic data | Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas |
| Spectral data | UV, IR, NMR, MS |
| Related compounds | |
| Other anions | ? |
| Other cations | ? |
| Related ? | ? |
| Related compounds | ? |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references | |
Methyl methacrylate is a chemical compound mostly known as monomer for the production of the transparent plastic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
Contents |
Production
Major producers worldwide include Cyro, Atofina, BASF, Dow Chemical, Lucite, Celanese and Rohm and Haas, and Sumitomo. The United States production in 1993 amounted to 600 thousand metric tonnes per annum (mt/a), and current worldwide production is estimated at 2.1 million mt/a.
Most producers apply an acetone cyanohydrin (ACH) route, with acetone and hydrogen cyanide as raw material, and ammonium bisulfate as by-product. New technologies such as the carbonylation of ethylene with methanol and carbon monoxide to form methyl propionate, with second reaction with formaldehyde is applied as well.
Uses
The principal application of methyl methacrylate is the production of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic plastics. Also methyl methacrylate is used for the production of the co-polymer methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS), used as modifiers for PVC.
Methyl methacrylate polymers and co-polymers are used for waterborne coatings, such latex house paint.
A modern application is the use in plates that keep light spread evenly across LCD computer and TV screens.
Methyl methacrylate is also used to prepare corrosion casts of anatomical organs, such as coronary arteries of the heart.
References
- Chemical data on Chemicalland
- US Environmental Protection Agency, 1994 data
- Intox Cheminfo data
- SRI Consulting PEP report
External links
- Methacrylate Producers Association (MPA)
- National Pollutant Inventory - Methyl methacrylate fact sheet
- Basic Acrylic Monomer Manufacturers (BAMM)
