The Probert Encyclopaedia of Science & Technology

DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, also commonly called bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, is a colourless, oily liquid with a slight odour. It was patented in 1933, and is primarily used as one of several plasticisers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins for fabricating flexible vinyl products. These PVC resins have been used to manufacture teething rings, pacifiers, soft squeeze toys, balls, shower curtains, raincoats, adhesives, polymeric coatings, components of paper and paperboard, defoaming agents, enclosures for food containers, animal glue, surface lubricants, flexible devices for administering parenteral solutions, and other products that must stay flexible and uninjurious for their lifetime. It is also used to manufacture vinyl gloves used for medical examinations and surgery. As a non-plasticizer, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is used as a replacement for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in dielectric fluids for electric capacitors. It is also used as a solvent in erasable ink, an acaricide for use in orchards, an inert ingredient in pesticides, a component of cosmetic products, and a vacuum pump oil; it is used to detect leaks in respirators and to test air filtration systems. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is insoluble in water, miscible with mineral oil and hexane, and soluble in most organic solvents. It is easily dissolved in body fluids such as saliva and plasma. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is a combustible liquid; it may burn, but does not readily ignite. It produces poisonous gas in a fire. When heated to decomposition, it emits acrid smoke. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is also known as bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, bis(2- ethylhexyl)-1,2-benzenedicarboxylate, di(2-ethylhexyl)ortho-phthalate, di-sec-octyl phthalate, 2- ethylhexyl phthalate, NCI-c52733, disec-octyl phthalate, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis (2- ethylhexyl) ester, DOP, DEHP, and octoil.
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