2 Ethyl Hexanol

2-Ethylhexanol (abbreviated 2-EH) is a branched, eight-carbon chiral alcohol. It is a colorless liquid that is poorly soluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents. It is produced on a massive scale (>2,000,000,000 kg/y) for use in numerous applications such as solvents, flavors, and fragrances and especially as a precursor for production of other chemicals such as emollients and plasticizers. It is encountered in natural plant fragrances, and the odor has been reported as “heavy, earthy, and slightly floral” for the R enantiomer and “a light, sweet floral fragrance” for the S enantiomer. The main uses for 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) is in the production of plasticisers, coatings, adhesives and other speciality chemicals. The largest market for 2-EH has been the plasticiser dioctyl phthalate (DOP) which is used in the manufacture polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products.