Tetrahydrofuran

Colorless, transparent liquid, flammable. Has an ether-like odor. Can form explosive peroxides in air. Miscible with water, alcohols, ketones, benzene, esters, ethers, and hydrocarbons. Boiling point 67°C, freezing point -108°C. Flash point -17°C (open cup), autoignition point: 610°C.

Major Uses

Excellent Organic Solvent

Due to its strong solvency and miscibility with water, it is widely used to dissolve resins (such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride), rubber, and cellulose derivatives. It is a common solvent in coatings, adhesives, and inks.

In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used for extracting natural products (such as alkaloids) and as a reaction medium for drug synthesis.

It is one of the common solvents for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analysis in laboratories.

Chemical Raw Material

Undergoes ring-opening polymerization to produce polytetrahydrofuran (PTMEG), a key raw material for producing polyurethane elastomers and spandex (Lycra).

Used for synthesizing fine chemical products such as tetrahydrothiophene (natural gas odorant) and gamma-butyrolactone.

Other Applications

Used as the mobile phase in chromatographic analysis to separate complex organic mixtures.

In the battery industry, it can serve as a solvent component in lithium-ion battery electrolytes, improving the conductivity and stability of the electrolyte."