Butyl Acetate

Other names: Butyl ester of acetic acid, Butyl ethanoate

Harm score: 2 (Derivatives of natural substances)

Butyl acetate (Butyl ester acetic acid or Butyl ethanoate) is an organic compound, it is an ester formed from acetic acid and butanol. It has a highly distinctive but very pleasant fruity odour, reminiscent of apple cider or bananas. As a result, it is widely used in the perfumery industry for the preparation of various fragrances, but the use of butyl acetate is much broader and extends into several different areas.

Butyl acetate is very often used in industry as a solvent. It can be found in paints, coatings, adhesives and varnish products. It is very useful in coatings because it has a high ability to dissolve various resins and evaporates easily. This makes it popular in the automotive industry for body coatings. It is also added to some cosmetic products such as nail polish. In the manufacturing process, it acts as a plasticizer, improving the consistency of the final product.

In addition, butyl acetate is a component of several food products where it is used as an additive to improve taste or as a flavouring agent. Although it is identical to the naturally occurring butyl acetate found, for example, in apples, it is mostly produced synthetically for food purposes. Last but not least, butyl acetate is also used in the manufacture of certain pharmaceuticals, where it serves, for example, as a carrier for the drug substance.