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Uses and properties

BDO deals with 1,4 butanediol, gammabutyrolactone (GBL), tetrahydrofuran (THF), N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), N-ethylpyrrolidone (NEP) and 2-pyrrolidone.

GBL and BDO are widely used industrial chemicals serving as critical ingredients in many different products and applications. GBL offers excellent solvent qualities with low toxicity and diminished environment concerns. GBL is involved in the manufacture of products including hospital supplies, beverage filtration and purification aids. GBL is also used for applications including circuit board cleaning in the electronics and high technology industries; the production of herbicides; and as a processing aid in the production of vitamins and pharmaceuticals. While there are solvent applications for GBL, the majority of the GBL manufactured is used by industrial companies as an intermediate in the manufacturing process of other chemicals.

BDO serves predominantly as an intermediate ingredient in common industrial and commercial products. BDO is reacted to make items such as engineering plastics, polyurethane systems (e.g. golf balls, skateboard wheels, car bumpers) and as a carrier solvent in printing inks and a cleaning agent.

NMP is used for the desulfurisation of gases by physical scrubbing and in the large scale recovery of hydrocarbons by extractive distillation. As a solvent rheology modifier it finds its application in surface coatings, plastics, paint strippers, cleaners, plant protection and electronic equipment manufacture.

THF is a moderately polar aprotic solvent. It finds its application as a solvent for adhesives, lacquers, printing ink and unvulcanised rubber. It is used as a chemical intermediate in the preparation of polytetramethylene glycol; butyrolactone; succinic acid; adipic acid; 1.4 butanediol diacetate; and tetrahydrothiophene.

Issues and regulations
REACH implementation

Information on the BDO REACH Consortium is available in the REACH section.

Specific issues
  • The primary objective of BDO is to ensure that classification and other HSE regulatory decisions taken on their substances at EU and MS level are based upon full and balanced evaluation of scientific evidence.
  • Monitor the drug precursor status of GBL and BDO and EU and MS level.
  • Monitor the implementation of the EU CLP of N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) (position paper attached)

    • Contact/Further information
    Walter Cremers, Sector Group Manager
    Tel. + 32 2 676 7224

    Membership
    BASF
    ISP
    LyondellBasell
    Taminco
    Chairman: Martin Liedemit, BASF.

    More information
    • EU Classification and Labelling for N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) - Position paper, 2 June 2009.
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