Information on substances
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Information on substances |
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Toluene (rev. 2006)
Pure toluene is a colourless liquid with a typical petroleum smell. It is produced by repeated extractions or distillations from coal-tar and nowadays mostly from light petroleum fractions. Toluene is present in crude oil but is also formed, for example, in the reforming of hydrocarbons in oil refineries. The dominant quantity of toluene is used, here in Sweden and worldwide, as motor fuel because by content the substance is one of the biggest single components of gasoline, where it constitutes 10-15%. No toluene is purified in Sweden, but large quantities of gasoline are produced with the toluene included in them. Other manufactured hydrocarbon products also include toluene and are exported for further upgrading as raw material for synthesis. Globally, toluene is very important as a synthesis chemical. World production is about 12 million tonnes, 3 million tonnes of which are produced by the USA. An increasing amount of toluene is alkylated to p-xylene to meet the demand for raw material to polyesters of terephthalatic acid. In Sweden too, toluene is used for synthesis; it is nitrated for use as explosive. Toluene, like other light aromatic substances, has a good solvent capacity and is used as a solvent in paints, vehicle care preparations and adhesives. Use of toluene as a solvent has been declining in Sweden for several years. Ordinary white spirit, which contains 15-25% aromates does not include toluene but has aromates with higher boiling points, such as ethylmethylbenzenes and trimethylbenzene.
Contact person: Margareta Östman,
Tel +468 519 411 62
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