Methyl butyrate

Methyl butyrate

Ball-and-stick model
Names
IUPAC name Methyl butanoate
Other names Butyric acid methyl ester
Identifiers
CAS Number	623-42-7 Y
ChemSpider	11680 N
EC Number	210-792-1
Jmol 3D model	Interactive image
MeSH	C043811
PubChem	12180
RTECS number	ET5500000
InChI InChI=1S/C5H10O2/c1-3-4-5(6)7-2/h3-4H2,1-2H3 N Key: UUIQMZJEGPQKFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N N InChI=1/C5H10O2/c1-3-4-5(6)7-2/h3-4H2,1-2H3 Key: UUIQMZJEGPQKFD-UHFFFAOYAW
SMILES CCCC(=O)OC
Properties
Chemical formula	C5H10O2
Molar mass	102.13 g·mol−1
Appearance	Colorless liquid
Density	0.898 g/cm3
Melting point	−95 °C (−139 °F; 178 K)
Boiling point	102 °C (216 °F; 375 K)
Solubility in water	1.5 g/100 mL (22 °C)
Refractive index (nD)	1.386
Vapor pressure	{{{value}}}
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N verify (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Methyl butyrate, also known under the systematic name methyl butanoate, is the methyl ester of butyric acid. Like most esters, it has a fruity odor, in this case resembling apples or pineapples. At room temperature, it is a colorless liquid with low solubility in water, upon which it floats to form an oily layer. Although it is flammable, it has a relatively low vapor pressure (40 mmHg at 30 °C (86 °F)), so it can be safely handled at room temperature without special safety precautions.

Methyl butyrate is present in small amounts in several plant products, especially pineapple oil. It can be produced by distillation from essential oils of vegetable origin, but is also manufactured on a small scale for use in perfumes and as a food flavoring.

Methyl butyrate has been used in combustion studies as a surrogate fuel for the larger fatty acid methyl esters found in biodiesel. However, studies have shown that, due to its short-chain length, methyl butyrate does not reproduce well the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behaviour and early CO₂ formation characteristics of real biodiesel fuels. Therefore, methyl butyrate is not a suitable surrogate fuel for biodiesel combustion studies.