Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)

Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate) is an organic compound with the molecular formula C6H10O3 and a molecular weight of 130.1418. It is a colorless, transparent, and easily flowing liquid.
It is used in the synthesis of medical polymer materials, thermosetting coatings, adhesives, etc. 
Chinese name: Hydroxyethyl methacrylate
English name: 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate
Chemical formula: C6H10O3

Applications
1. Primarily used for modifying resins and coatings. Copolymerized with other acrylic monomers, it can produce acrylic resins with active hydroxyl groups in the side chains, enabling esterification and cross-linking reactions. This synthesis results in insoluble resins and improved adhesion, making it suitable for use as a fiber treatment agent. When reacted with melamine-formaldehyde (or urea-formaldehyde) resins, epoxy resins, etc., it is used to manufacture two-component coatings. Added to high-end automotive paints, it helps maintain a mirror-like gloss for extended periods. It is also used as an adhesive for synthetic textiles and as a medical polymer monomer.
2. Used in the production of coatings, resins for automotive topcoats and primers, as well as in photopolymerization resins, printing plates, inks, gels (contact lenses), and coatings for canned materials. It serves as an embedding reagent for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and optical microscopy (LM), particularly for hydrated samples with "sensitive antigen sites." It appears as a white, viscous, water-like substance, thinner than water, and more permeable than any resin or monomer. It is especially useful for working with bones, cartilage, and hard-to-penetrate plant tissues.
3. In the plastics industry, it is used to manufacture acrylic resins containing active hydroxyl groups. In the coatings industry, it is combined with epoxy resins, diisocyanates, melamine-formaldehyde resins, etc., to produce two-component coatings. In the oil industry, it is used as an additive for lubricant cleaning. In the electronics industry, it serves as a dehydrating agent for electron microscopy. In the textile industry, it is used to manufacture fabric adhesives. In analytical chemistry, it is employed as a chemical reagent. Additionally, it is used as a water-miscible embedding agent for synthesizing medical polymer materials, thermosetting coatings, adhesives, and more.