Xylene

Description

Xylene is used as a solvent. In this application, the mixture of isomers is often referred to as xylenes or xylol. Solvent xylene often contains a small percentage of ethylbenzene. Like the individual isomers, the mixture is colourless, sweet smelling, and highly flammable. Application of xylene is extensive and includes, but is not limited to, printing, rubber, and leather industries.
Similarly, it is used as a cleaning agent for steel and silicon wafers. In the petroleum industry, xylene is also a frequent component of paraffin solvents, used when the tubing becomes clogged with paraffin wax. Xylene is incompatible with strong oxidisers and is known to cause fires and explosions. There are three forms of xylene in which the methyl groups vary on the benzene ring: (i) meta-xylene, (ii) ortho-xylene, and (iii) para-xylene. These forms are referred to as isomers. Xylene is a colourless, sweet-smelling liquid. Xylene occurs naturally in petroleum and coal tar. Chemical industries produce xylene from petroleum. It is also used as a cleaning agent and a thinner for paint and in paints, in glues, in printing inks, and in varnishes. Xylene evaporates quickly from the soil and surface water into the air.

Description

Xylenes are a mixture of the three isomers of dimethylbenzene (1,2-Dimethylbenzene, 1,3-Dimethylbenzene, and 1,4-Dimethylbenzene). Xylenes are used in organic chemistry primarily as a solvent. Replacing toluene (bp: 110 C) with xylenes (bp: 138 C) is sometimes useful if you want a similar solvent with a higher boiling point.

The Uses of Xylene

Xylene is used as a chemical feedstock in the chemical industry. Xylenes can undergooxidation where the side methyl groups are oxidized to give a carboxyl group (COOH)yielding a carboxylic acid. The particular acid produced depends on the isomer oxidized. Wheno-xylene is oxidized phthalic acid is produced, and when p-xylene is oxidized terephthalic acidresults. Terephthalic acid is one of the main feedstocks in making polyesters.Terephthalic acid reacts with ethylene glycol to form the ester polyethylene terephthalate(PET). PET is one of the most common plastics used as food and beverage containers. PETcontainers contain the recycling symbol with a number 1. PET is marketed using a numberof commercial names; the most generic of these is polyester. It is also the material known asDacron. Mylar is PET in the form of thin films. Although all three isomers of xylene are usedas chemical feedstocks, the greatest demand is for para-xylene to produce terephthalic acid.The smallest demand is for meta-xylene. Approximately 30 million tons of xylenes are usedannually worldwide.

What are the applications of Application

Xylene, mixed isomers is a mix of isomers used in histology