ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOETHYL ETHER

CAS: 110-80-5 FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE

Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether (CAS 110-80-5) is a glycol ether solvent with various industrial solvent applications. It is not commonly used as a direct food additive and lacks clear regulatory approval for use in food products.

What It Is

Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether is a chemical compound classified as a glycol ether. Glycol ethers are a class of organic solvents typically synthesized by reacting ethylene oxide with alcohols, resulting in an ether with both hydrophilic and lipophilic properties. This structure imparts solvent capabilities for a range of organic and inorganic materials. The compound is recognized by its CAS Registry Number 110-80-5, and its common synonyms include Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether Ethanol, 2-Ethoxy- and 2-Ethoxyethanol. In industrial and research contexts, it serves as a formulation aid, solvent, or vehicle in various chemical processes. Its miscibility with water and many organic solvents underpins its functional role in formulations that require dissolution of mixed-polarity components for industrial applications rather than direct food incorporation. Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether appears in regulatory reference codes such as 73.1, 175.105, and 177.2600, which are part of broader regulatory frameworks in the United States related to indirect food contact substances rather than a direct food additive authorization. Because these codes encompass general allowances for substances in specific food-contact applications under controlled conditions, they do not by themselves constitute evidence of this compound's approval for use as an ingredient added to food itself.

How It Is Made

The production of Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether involves an organic synthesis process where ethanol reacts with ethylene oxide under controlled conditions. During this reaction, ethylene oxide opens its epoxide ring and bonds to the ethanol molecule, forming the ethoxyethyl backbone characteristic of this glycol ether. After synthesis, the crude reaction mixture typically undergoes purification steps such as distillation to achieve the desired product purity. Analytical quality control ensures that residual reactants, catalysts, and byproducts are removed to the extent necessary for industrial standards. The resulting product is a clear, colorless liquid, miscible with water and various organic solvents. Industrial suppliers often deliver the material with specified purity grades, tailored for laboratory, industrial, or technical uses. Because Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether is primarily used outside of direct food formulations, chemical suppliers generally categorize and sell it as a laboratory reagent or industrial solvent. Without authoritative food additive specifications in recognized food additive monographs, detailed food-grade specifications for purity and allowable impurity limits are not established in major food additive regulatory references. This contrasts with chemicals intentionally authorized for direct food use, which are subject to rigorous food-grade manufacturing requirements and explicit specifications, analytical methods, and maximum residual limits.

Why It Is Used In Food

Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether is not commonly used directly in food formulations. In industrial and laboratory contexts, its solvent properties support extraction and analytical processes that may characterize or quantify food components in research settings. As a formulation aid or vehicle, glycol ethers including Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether can dissolve chemically diverse substances due to their polar and nonpolar solubility profile. Such capabilities make it useful for formulating solvent blends in industrial applications such as paint strippers, inks, varnish removers, and certain laboratory reagent systems. In analytical chemistry settings, it has been used as an extraction solvent for lipid analyses in algal or other biological samples, leveraging its ability to dissolve lipophilic and hydrophilic molecules to aid separation and quantification. Because direct incorporation into food products is not standard or widely authorized by food additive regulators, discussions of its use in food focus on indirect or technical roles related to food-contact materials or analytical preparation.

Adi Example Calculation

Because Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether does not have an established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) from authoritative food additive evaluations, a hypothetical ADI calculation cannot be presented for dietary exposure. ADI calculations for food additives typically use toxicological data such as the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and apply safety factors to derive a safe daily intake. In the absence of an established ADI for this compound, regulators instead focus on limiting exposure through occupational safety guidelines and restricting direct food use. Therefore, illustrative calculations based on dietary intake are not applicable for this solvent chemical.

Safety And Health Research

Scientific research into Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether has concentrated on its toxicological profile in non-dietary exposure contexts. Glycol ethers as a class have been examined for potential effects following inhalation, dermal contact, or oral exposure in industrial environments. Some studies indicate that extended or high-level exposures in animal models can affect various organ systems and reproductive endpoints. These findings inform hazard classifications and workplace safety guidance. Regulatory bodies establish occupational exposure limits, personal protective equipment recommendations, and environmental controls to mitigate risks during manufacture, handling, and disposal. Because Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether is not widely used as a food additive, comprehensive toxicological risk assessments aimed at establishing consumer dietary exposure levels are largely absent. In safety data sheets and industrial risk assessments, glycol ethers are often identified by hazard categories such as flammability, respiratory effects, and potential reproductive toxicity, with corresponding precautionary measures advised. These health and safety research efforts prioritize minimizing occupational and environmental exposure over assessing food-additive safety.

Regulatory Status Worldwide

The regulatory landscape for Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether reflects its classification as an industrial solvent with limited roles in food-contact materials rather than a direct food additive. In the United States, references in the Code of Federal Regulations such as 21 CFR 175.105 (adhesives) and 21 CFR 177.2600 (rubber articles intended for repeated use) identify categories under which substances may be included in components that contact food. These sections allow certain substances under specified conditions to be used in contact materials, but they do not constitute direct approval of the compound as a food additive ingredient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Inventory of Food Contact Substances lists substances authorized under indirect food contact regulations, and presence on such lists indicates allowed controlled uses in materials rather than in food products themselves. Internationally, global expert bodies like JECFA review chemicals for food additive safety and establish Acceptable Daily Intakes where appropriate; however, Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether has no explicit JECFA evaluation resulting in an ADI allocation, which confirms its lack of authorization as a food additive. Instead, safety frameworks emphasize handling restrictions, occupational exposure limits, and environmental considerations. This underlines that, while the compound can appear in technical uses related to food-contact materials under strict limits, it is not approved for incorporation into food as an ingredient.

Taste And Functional Properties

Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether possesses functional solvent properties rather than sensory contributions to food. Its chemical structure yields a clear, colorless liquid with a mild ether-like odor when pure. As a solvent, it can dissolve a range of organic substances, including oils, resins, and greases, due to its balanced polarity. These characteristics underlie its industrial utility in dissolving or modifying the properties of other components in formulations where dissolution or viscosity control is critical. Because it is not approved for direct food use, taste and mouthfeel considerations are not relevant for food applications. In research contexts, the physical properties such as boiling point, miscibility, and evaporation rate make it suitable for methods where solvent removal or separation is needed after analytical or preparative processes. Unlike food-grade solvents intentionally selected for sensory neutrality and human consumption compatibility, Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether’s functional properties in non-food applications stem from its physicochemical behavior rather than any desirable taste profile.

Acceptable Daily Intake Explained

An Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is a scientific estimate of the amount of a substance that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without risk to health, based on toxicological data and safety factors applied by expert bodies like the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether does not have an ADI established by such authorities because it is not recognized as a food additive with direct dietary exposure. Instead, regulatory evaluations for this compound focus on occupational exposure limits and handling precautions rather than dietary intake. In cases where an ADI is established for other food additives, regulators use the ADI to set maximum use levels in specific food categories and to assess consumer exposure. Because Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether lacks an authorized ADI, regulatory guidance emphasizes preventing its presence in food products and controlling non-dietary exposure routes in industrial and laboratory settings.

Comparison With Similar Additives

When comparing Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether with other solvent chemicals relevant to food applications, striking differences emerge in regulatory status and intended use. Solvents such as food-grade ethanol and propylene glycol are explicitly authorized for use in food products due to their well-characterized safety profiles and long histories of dietary exposure. These compounds have established food additive regulations and, where applicable, Acceptable Daily Intakes. In contrast, Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether lacks such authorization for direct food use and is instead regulated under frameworks addressing indirect food contact or industrial exposure. Other glycol ethers, like ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, have similarly limited food relevance and focus on industry applications. For solvent selection in food-contact materials or analytical chemistry, regulators and scientists prioritize agents with minimal migration risk, clear safety data for dietary exposure, and established regulatory acceptance, which distinguishes food-grade solvents from industrial-grade compounds such as Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether.

Common Food Applications Narrative

Ethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether is not widely used as an ingredient in food formulations. Instead, its association with food contexts revolves around indirect or technical applications..

Safety & Regulations

FDA

  • Notes: No direct FDA food additive approval could be verified; regulatory references relate to indirect food-contact conditions.

EFSA

  • Notes: No EFSA authorization for direct food use identified.

JECFA

  • Notes: No JECFA ADI or food additive evaluation found.

Sources

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to share!