Aromatic Solvents

Details

• Personal Author:
  Sullivan JB Jr. ; Van Ert MD
• Description:
  Aromatic solvents are benzene derivatives with high vapor pressures and low boiling points that increase with increasing molecular weight. These solvents possess high vapor densities and are not very water soluble. Most of these compounds are used as starting chemicals or intermediate chemicals for synthesis of other organic compounds. Aromatic solvents are used also in myriad occupations and industries, in paints, lacquers manufacturing, resins, pharmaceuticals, printing, glues and adhesives, degreasing operations, electronics, and rubber manufacturing. Commonly used aromatic compounds include toluene, benzene, xylene, styrene, ethylbenzene, monochlorobenzene (MCB), and trimethylbenzene. Benzene is discussed in a separate chapter. Most commercial aromatic solvents have a boiling point not much lower than 0 degrees C or higher than 200 degrees C. If the boiling point of a solvent is too high and the vapor pressure too low, separating the solvent from the material it is used to dissolve would be difficult. Therefore, most organic solvents are liquid at room temperature. Aromatic solvents are characterized by nonpolarity and high lipid solubility. These solvents frequently are used in mixtures in occupational settings, such as combinations of toluene, benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, trimethylbenzene, and xylene. Naphthalene, although an aromatic compound, is not a solvent; rather, it is a white, crystalline solid used as a repellent for moths, and it volatilizes easily. Aromatic solvents are derivatives of coal and petroleum refining. When coal is heated in the absence of air, it is broken down into volatile compounds consisting of coal gas and coal tar. The residue of this process is termed coke. The distillation of coal tar results in the production of aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, phenols, cresols, and naphthalene. Aromatic compounds can also be produced by catalytic processes in which aliphatic hydrocarbons are employed at high temperatures and high pressures to dehydrogenate the compounds and form cyclic structures of the aromatic hydrocarbons. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Benzene Hydrocarbons Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Solvents Toxicology
• Keywords:
  Aromatic Hydrocarbons Benzenes Biological Effects Health Effects Occupational Exposure Organic Compounds
• ISBN:
  9780683080278
• Publisher:
  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055093
• Citation:
  Clinical environmental health and toxic exposures, second edition. Sullivan JB Jr, Krieger GR eds. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Jun; :1139-1165
• Editor(s):
  Sullivan JB Jr; Krieger GR
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Performing Organization:
  University of Arizona, Tucson
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19950701
• Source Full Name:
  Clinical environmental health and toxic exposures, second edition
• End Date:
  20060630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9d037046f5de0e9a5d82b2905108b8f3d4c03a00d87c3f45118ff7c86197dc1e031911cec62465635bd27491c026e21b817b0f4a248d246b989cb1d7f288a51d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217464/cdc_217464_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.19 MB ]