3300. Dioxane

Nomenclature

CAS number: 123-91-1
1,4-Dioxane; 1,4-diethylene dioxide.
C4H8O2; mol wt 88.11.
C 54.53%, H 9.15%, O 36.32%.

Description and references

Prepd by distilling ethylene glycol with dil H2SO4. Monograph: W. Stumpf, Chemie und Anwendungen des 1,4-Dioxans (Verlag Chemie, 1956). Toxicity data: E. P. Laug et al., J. Ind. Hyg. Toxicol. 21, 173 (1939). Carcinogenicity studies: M. F. Argus et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 35, 949 (1965); R. J. Kociba et al., Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 30, 275 (1974).

Chemical structure

Properties

Faint pleasant odor. d420 1.0329. mp 11.80°. bp760 101.1°; bp400 81.8°; bp200 62.3°; bp100 45.1°; bp60 33.8°; bp40 25.2°; bp20 12°. Flammable. Cryoscopic constant 4.83. Trouton constant 21.90. Heat of combustion: 581 kcal/mol. Heat of fusion: 2.98 kcal/mol. Specific heat at 20° = 0.0370 kcal/mol/°C. Viscosity (25°): 0.0120 P. Crit temp 312°. Crit press 50.7 atm. Flash pt 5-18°C. nD20 1.4175. Dipole moment: zero. Azeotropic mixture with water: 81.6% dioxane, bp 87.8°. Azeotropic mixture with ethanol: 9.3% dioxane, bp 78.1°. Sol in water and the usual organic solvents. Tends to form explosive peroxides if anhydr, especially when evaporn to dryness is attempted. LD50 in mice, rats (ml/kg): 5.7, 5.2 orally (Laug).

Caution

Potential symptoms of overexposure are drowsiness, headache; nausea, vomiting; irritation of eyes, skin, nose and throat; liver damage; kidney failure. See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH 97-140, 1997) p 120. This substance is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen: Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition (PB2005-104914, 2004) p III-110.

Use

Stabilizer in chlorinated solvents. Organic solvent for cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose, resins, oils, waxes, oil and spirit-sol dyes, and many other organic as well as some inorganic compds.