Ethyl formate

Ethyl formate is an ester formed when ethanol (an alcohol) reacts with formic acid (a carboxylic acid). Ethyl formate has the characteristic smell of rum and is partially responsible for the flavor of raspberries,^[3] occurring naturally in some plant oils, fruits, and juices. Ethyl formate does not occur naturally in the animal kingdom.^[4]

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Exposure

Ethyl formate is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.^[5]

According to the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ethyl formate can irritate eyes, skin, mucous membranes, and the respiratory system of humans and other animals; it is also a central nervous system depressant.^[6] In industry, it is used as a solvent for cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, oils, and greases. It can be used as a substitute for acetone; workers may also be exposed to it under the following circumstances:^[6]

during spray, brush, or dip applications of lacquers
during the manufacture of safety glass
when fumigating tobacco, cereals, and dried fruits (as an alternative to methyl bromide under the U.S. Department of Agriculture quarantine system^[5])

OSHA considers a time-weighted average of 100 parts per million (300 milligrams per cubic meter) over an eight-hour period as the permissible exposure limit. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also considers a time-weighted average of 100 ppm over an eight-hour period as the recommended exposure limit.^[7]

In space

Ethyl formate has been identified in dust clouds in an area of the Milky Way galaxy called Sagittarius B2. It is among 50 molecular species identified using the 30 metre IRAM radiotelescope.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0278". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
^ ^a ^b "Ethyl formate". Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
^ ^a ^b Sample, Ian (21 April 2009). "Galaxy's centre tastes of raspberries and smells of rum, say astronomers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
^ "eCFR :: 21 CFR 184.1295 -- Ethyl formate". 2024-02-22. Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
^ ^a ^b "Alternative fumigants: Ethyl Formate". University of California. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
^ ^a ^b "Occupational Safety and Health Guideline for Ethyl Formate". OSHA. Archived from the original on 2009-04-14. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
^ CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards Archived 2017-12-19 at the Wayback Machine.

v t e Esters
Methyl esters	Methyl formate Methyl acetate Methyl propionate Methyl butyrate Methyl pentanoate Methyl hexanoate Methyl benzoate
Ethyl esters	Ethyl formate Ethyl acetate Ethyl propionate Ethyl butyrate Ethyl pentanoate Ethyl hexanoate Ethyl heptanoate Ethyl octanoate Ethyl decanoate Ethyl palmitate Ethyl benzoate
Propyl esters	Propyl acetate Propyl propanoate Propyl benzoate Isopropyl acetate Isopropyl palmitate
Butyl esters	Butyl acetate Butyl butyrate Isobutyl acetate
Amyl esters	Amyl acetate Pentyl propanoate Pentyl butyrate Pentyl pentanoate Pentyl hexanoate Isoamyl formate Isoamyl acetate Sec-Amyl acetate
Hexyl esters	Hexyl acetate
Phenyl esters	Phenyl acetate
Heptyl esters	Heptyl acetate
Benzyl esters	Benzyl acetate Benzyl benzoate

Molecules detected in outer space

Molecules

Diatomic	Aluminium monochloride Aluminium monofluoride Aluminium(II) oxide Argonium Carbon cation Carbon monophosphide Carbon monosulfide Carbon monoxide Cyano radical Diatomic carbon Fluoromethylidynium Helium hydride ion Hydrogen chloride Hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen (molecular) Hydroxyl radical Iron(II) oxide Magnesium monohydride Methylidyne radical Nitric oxide Nitrogen (molecular) Imidogen Sulfur mononitride Oxygen (molecular) Phosphorus monoxide Phosphorus mononitride Potassium chloride Silicon carbide Silicon monoxide Silicon monosulfide Sodium chloride Sodium iodide Sulfur monohydride Sulfur monoxide Titanium(II) oxide
Triatomic	Aluminium(I) hydroxide Aluminium isocyanide Amino radical Carbon dioxide Carbonyl sulfide CCP radical Chloronium Diazenylium Dicarbon monoxide Disilicon carbide Ethynyl radical Formyl radical Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) Hydrogen isocyanide (HNC) Hydrogen sulfide Hydroperoxyl Iron cyanide Isoformyl Magnesium cyanide Magnesium isocyanide Methylene radical N₂H⁺ Nitrous oxide Nitroxyl Ozone Phosphaethyne Potassium cyanide Protonated molecular hydrogen Sodium cyanide Sodium hydroxide Silicon carbonitride c-Silicon dicarbide SiNC Sulfur dioxide Thioformyl Thioxoethenylidene Titanium dioxide Tricarbon Water
Four atoms	Acetylene Ammonia Cyanic acid Cyanoethynyl Formaldehyde Fulminic acid HCCN Hydrogen peroxide Hydromagnesium isocyanide Isocyanic acid Isothiocyanic acid Ketenyl Methylene amidogen Methyl cation Methyl radical Propynylidyne Protonated carbon dioxide Protonated hydrogen cyanide Silicon tricarbide Thioformaldehyde Tricarbon monoxide Tricarbon monosulfide Thiocyanic acid
Five atoms	Ammonium ion Butadiynyl Carbodiimide Cyanamide Cyanoacetylene Cyanoformaldehyde Cyanomethyl Cyclopropenylidene Formic acid Isocyanoacetylene Ketene Methane Methoxy radical Methylenimine Propadienylidene Protonated formaldehyde Silane Silicon-carbide cluster
Six atoms	Acetonitrile Cyanobutadiynyl radical E-Cyanomethanimine Cyclopropenone Diacetylene Ethylene Formamide HC<sub>4</sub>N Ketenimine Methanethiol Methanol Methyl isocyanide Pentynylidyne Propynal Protonated cyanoacetylene
Seven atoms	Acetaldehyde Acrylonitrile Vinyl cyanide Cyanodiacetylene Ethylene oxide Glycolonitrile Hexatriynyl radical Methylacetylene Methylamine Methyl isocyanate Vinyl alcohol
Eight atoms	Acetic acid Aminoacetonitrile Cyanoallene Ethanimine Glycolaldehyde Hexapentaenylidene Methylcyanoacetylene Methyl formate Propenal
Nine atoms	Acetamide Cyanohexatriyne Cyanotriacetylene Dimethyl ether Ethanol Methyldiacetylene Octatetraynyl radical Propene Propionitrile
Ten atoms or more	Acetone Benzene Benzonitrile Buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀, C₆₀⁺, fullerene, buckyball) C₇₀ fullerene Cyanodecapentayne Cyanopentaacetylene Cyanotetra-acetylene Ethylene glycol Ethyl formate Methyl acetate Methyl-cyano-diacetylene Methyltriacetylene Propanal n-Propyl cyanide Pyrimidine Heptatrienyl radical