| HS Code | 464210 |
| Product Name | Magnesium Ethoxide |
| Iupac Name | Magnesium diethoxide |
| Synonyms | Magnesium ethylate; Diethoxymagnesium |
| Cas Registry Number | 2414-98-4 |
| Einecs Number | 219-323-5 |
| Molecular Formula | C4H10MgO2 |
| Linear Formula | Mg(OC2H5)2 |
| Molecular Weight | 114.43 g/mol |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder |
| Physical State | Solid |
| Odor | Alcohol-like |
| Melting Point | 270 °C |
| Boiling Point | Decomposes before boiling |
| Density | 1.01 g/cm³ at 25 °C |
| Solubility In Water | Reacts with water |
| Solubility In Organic Solvents | Soluble in ethanol |
| Moisture Sensitivity | Moisture sensitive |
| Storage Conditions | Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place under inert gas |
| Vapor Pressure | Negligible |
As an accredited Magnesium Ethoxide factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Magnesium Ethoxide packaged in 25 kg moisture-proof fiber drums with double polyethylene liners, sealed for safe transport and storage. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Container Loading (20′ FCL): Magnesium Ethoxide in palletized drums, moisture-protected, secured, hazardous-labeled, kept dry during transport, segregated from incompatible materials. |
| Shipping | Magnesium Ethoxide is typically shipped as UN 1325, Flammable solid, organic, n.o.s. (Magnesium ethoxide), Class 4.1, Packing Group II. Use sealed, moisture-resistant packaging under inert gas with Class 4.1 labels. Keep away from water, heat, sparks, and oxidizers. Verify current IATA/IMDG/ADR requirements. |
| Storage | Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location, protected from moisture, heat, sparks, flames, acids, and oxidizers. Keep containers tightly closed, ideally under dry nitrogen or argon, since magnesium ethoxide is moisture-sensitive and can release flammable ethanol. Use labeled, corrosion-resistant containers, ground equipment, avoid dust, and follow local regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Magnesium ethoxide has a shelf life of about two years if kept dry, sealed, and protected from moisture and air. |
During manufacture of spherical Ziegler-Natta procatalysts for polypropylene and high-density polyethylene, magnesium ethoxide is handled as a moisture-sensitive support rather than as a directly active catalyst. The support is dried at 110–130 °C under nitrogen to water content below 50 ppm, then suspended in anhydrous toluene or chlorobenzene in a jacketed glass-lined reactor equipped with turbine agitation at tip speed 1.5–2.5 m/s. TiCl4 is fed at a controlled rate to maintain the reactor temperature between 90 °C and 110 °C; the exotherm drives replacement of surface ethoxide groups with chloride and generates ethyl chloride as the principal by-product. The carrier prior to titanation retains D50 of 25–55 µm and BET surface area of 250–450 m²/g. After TiCl4 treatment, surface area is typically reduced to 150–300 m²/g while pore volume settles at 0.30–0.45 cm³/g. Propylene polymerization trials in a slurry loop reactor use triethylaluminium co-catalyst at Al/Ti molar ratios from 50:1 to 200:1 and an external silane donor such as dicyclopentyldimethoxysilane at Si/Ti ratios from 5:1 to 25:1. The resulting polypropylene homopolymer is evaluated by ISO 1133-1:2022 for melt mass-flow rate at 230 °C and 2.16 kg, ASTM D638-14 for tensile yield stress, ISO 179-1:2023 for Charpy notched impact, and ISO 16152:2005 for xylene solubles. A donor-controlled catalyst package yields xylene solubles below 3.0 wt% and tensile yield stress above 32 MPa in compression-moulded specimens. Food-contact grades are cleared under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 when the final article passes overall migration limits of 10 mg/dm². Moisture control is the main operational boundary: residual water in the titanation solvent above 20 ppm hydrolyzes TiCl4 and releases HCl, which corrodes reactor internals and increases the fraction of particles below 10 µm.
Table 1. Compositional and physical control window for a spherical Mg(OEt)2-derived Ziegler-Natta procatalyst.
| Parameter | Control window |
|---|---|
| Ti content | 2.0–4.5 wt% |
| Mg content | 14–19 wt% |
| Cl content | 50–60 wt% |
| Internal donor | 5–12 wt% |
| Particle diameter D50 | 25–55 µm |
| BET surface area after titanation | 150–300 m²/g |
| Pore volume | 0.30–0.45 cm³/g |
Magnesium ethoxide is evaluated as a ring-opening initiator for L-lactide and ε-caprolactone in solvent-based and bulk polymerization reactors. The initiation step proceeds through nucleophilic attack of the ethoxide anion on the carbonyl carbon of the lactide ring, followed by acyl-oxygen cleavage and propagation at the magnesium alkoxide chain end. Published studies report number-average molecular weights in the 10,000–80,000 g/mol range when monomer-to-initiator molar ratios are varied from 100:1 to 500:1 at temperatures of 120–160 °C, as determined by ISO 16014-1:2019 size-exclusion chromatography. Monomer moisture must remain below 50 ppm because water acts as a competing initiator and broadens the molecular weight distribution beyond 1.8. Reaction temperatures above 160 °C promote intramolecular transesterification and increase polydispersity. For medical-grade polylactide, the crude polymer is precipitated in methanol and dried at 40–60 °C under vacuum before processing. Cytotoxicity testing is performed according to ISO 10993-5:2009 after extraction per ISO 10993-12:2021. Magnesium residue in the purified polymer is controlled below 20 ppm because residual alkoxide accelerates hydrolytic degradation during storage and can shorten the working life of resorbable devices. The dried polymer is compounded on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with L/D 40:1 at barrel temperatures of 180–200 °C using nitrogen purge and vacuum devolatilization.
On flexible glass or silicon substrates requiring a crack-free alkaline-earth oxide buffer layer, dip-coating operations often select magnesium ethoxide because hydrolysis leaves no chloride residue. The sol is prepared by reacting Mg(OEt)2 with a mixture of 2-methoxyethanol and glacial acetic acid, holding water/Mg molar ratio between 2:1 and 8:1 and pH below 5. Acetic acid acts as a chelating ligand to suppress rapid gelation. Coating is performed on cleaned substrates at withdrawal speeds of 1–10 mm/s; each layer produces a green film thickness of 40–120 nm. After each pass, the film is dried at 150 °C and then calcined in air at 350–700 °C for 60–120 min to convert the gel to cubic MgO. Thickness measurements are made by ISO 2808:2019 or spectroscopic ellipsometry. Adhesion is checked by ASTM D3359-17 tape test. Crack-free multilayer stacks up to 500 nm are achievable when the sol is filtered through a 0.22 µm membrane and each calcination ramp does not exceed 5 °C/min. The processed MgO layer functions as a dielectric buffer or protective barrier in plasma display and high-brightness LED structures, with breakdown strength measured per ASTM D149-20. Humid conditions above 60% RH during dipping destabilize the sol and produce gel particles larger than 0.45 µm, which must be removed before coating to avoid surface defects.
In process evaluations aimed at reducing sodium contamination in crude glycerol, magnesium ethoxide is examined as a soluble basic catalyst for refined vegetable oils. The catalyst is dissolved in anhydrous methanol and used at loadings from 0.4 wt% to 1.0 wt% relative to oil; methanol-to-oil molar ratios are maintained between 6:1 and 9:1. Transesterification is run at 60–65 °C under atmospheric pressure in a continuous stirred-tank reactor with residence time of 120–180 min. Free fatty acid content of the feedstock must remain below 0.5 mg KOH/g as determined by EN ISO 660:2020; higher acidity consumes magnesium centres and forms soaps that stabilize the emulsion layer during phase separation. Crude methyl ester is washed with water and then polished over silica or ion-exchange resin to remove dissolved magnesium soaps. The finished methyl ester is assessed against ASTM D6751-20 and EN 14214:2012+A1:2014, with the combined calcium and magnesium limit set at 5 mg/kg in both specifications. Published data for full-scale continuous biodiesel lines using magnesium ethoxide is limited compared with sodium methylate; process licensors typically validate the washing and polishing train at pilot scale before commercial rate commitments.
Table 2. Required post-reaction purification targets for magnesium-catalysed biodiesel compared with standard specifications.
| Parameter | ASTM D6751-20 limit | EN 14214:2012+A1:2014 limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ester content min | 96.5% mass | 96.5% m/m |
| Monoglycerides max | 0.40% mass | 0.70% m/m |
| Total glycerol max | 0.24% mass | 0.25% m/m |
| Water max | 0.050% vol | 500 mg/kg |
| Na + K max | 5 mg/kg | 5 mg/kg |
| Ca + Mg max | 5 mg/kg | 5 mg/kg |
During polycondensation of weatherable polyester polyols for coil coatings and powder resins, magnesium ethoxide is sometimes evaluated as a non-tin transesterification catalyst. The catalyst is added after the esterification step at a molar ratio of 0.05–0.20 mol% relative to the dicarboxylic acid charge. Polycondensation proceeds at 220–245 °C under vacuum below 5 mbar; the ethoxide ligand leaves as ethanol and does not contribute to haze in the final melt. Acid value is determined by ISO 2114:2000, hydroxyl value by ISO 4629-2:2016, and dynamic viscosity by ISO 3219:1993 at 25 °C. A hydroxyl polyester for polyurethane coil coatings may target acid value below 5 mg KOH/g and hydroxyl value between 20 mg KOH/g and 60 mg KOH/g. The reaction requires a nitrogen blanket because ambient moisture hydrolyzes the catalyst and increases acid value drift. The catalyst must not be combined with amine-based neutralizers or strongly coordinating additives before polycondensation; amine coordination suppresses catalytic activity. The final polyester is crosslinked with blocked isocyanates or melamine formaldehyde resins and cured on metal panels where flexibility is measured by ISO 1519:2013 and pencil hardness by ASTM D3363-05. This substitution is one route when formulators require organotin-free coatings under REACH Annex XVII restrictions on dioctyltin compounds; residual tin content in the cured film is checked by acid digestion and ICP-MS.
As a sacrificial precursor for magnesium oxide nanoparticles, magnesium ethoxide is employed in lubricant additive research and small-scale production. Controlled hydrolysis in deionized water produces a magnesium hydroxide slurry, which is washed and calcined at 400–550 °C for 2–3 h. Primary crystallite size is determined by X-ray diffraction line broadening and typically lies between 15 nm and 40 nm when a non-ionic surfactant is present during precipitation. The particles are dispersed in a polyalphaolefin or ester base oil at concentrations from 0.5 wt% to 2.0 wt% using a high-shear homogenizer operating at 15,000–25,000 min⁻¹. Four-ball wear testing according to ASTM D4172-21 is performed at 40 kg load, 75 °C, and 1,200 rpm for 60 min. Extreme-pressure behaviour is measured by ASTM D2783-21. The anti-wear effect is maintained only when the nanoparticles remain in suspension; uncoated MgO retains adsorbed water and raises base oil water content above 100 ppm, accelerating additive depletion and settling. Hydrophobic surface treatment with long-chain fatty acids or silanes is therefore necessary before blending. Pilot batches from ethoxide hydrolysis show narrower particle size distribution than many commercial oxide powders, but published data for continuous multi-ton production is limited.
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Magnesium ethoxide [CAS 2414-98-4, formula Mg(OC₂H₅)₂, molecular weight 114.43 g/mol] is supplied as a white to off-white solid that reacts with water, alcohols, and acids. Commercial product designations separate ≥98.0% reagent-grade powders from reactor-grade particulates with controlled particle size distribution and residual free ethanol. The theoretical magnesium content is 21.24 mass %. Lot certificates typically report magnesium assay by complexometric titration after hydrolysis rather than a harmonized ISO method; therefore, direct comparison between suppliers requires evaluation of the reported assay basis. The product is used as a precursor for magnesium chloride-based polyolefin catalyst supports, a sol-gel source for magnesium oxide films, a transesterification base, and a reagent for surface conditioning. Unlike sodium ethoxide, magnesium ethoxide hydrolysis yields sparingly soluble magnesium hydroxide rather than a persistent soluble caustic stream, requiring different neutralization and filtration steps in downstream processing. The solid must be stored at ≤30 °C under dry inert gas; exposure to relative humidity above 40% causes surface hydration and agglomeration.
Physical constants used for reactor sizing include a non-volatile solid form and an apparent bulk density that varies by particle size and compaction; supplier safety data sheets commonly list the powder in the 0.5–0.9 g/cm³ range, though published data for this exact product are limited. The heat of hydrolysis is not as high as that of sodium ethoxide, but water contact generates ethanol vapor and can raise pressure in closed containers. Dust formation during powder handling requires local exhaust ventilation and inert gas conveyance. For quantitative inventory, the material should be transferred in a nitrogen-purged glovebox or through an enclosed vacuum conveyor; mechanical screw feeders require polished stainless steel surfaces and should avoid plastic components that accumulate static charge.
| Parameter | Typical value or range | Test method / reference |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 114.43 g/mol | Calculated from IUPAC atomic weights |
| Magnesium theoretical content | 21.24 mass % | Calculated |
| Assay, reagent grade | ≥98.0% | Internal acid–base titration after controlled hydrolysis |
| Free ethanol | ≤2.0 mass % | Headspace GC-FID, internal method |
| Moisture | ≤0.5 mass % | ASTM E203 Karl Fischer on hydrolyzed slurry |
| Chloride | ≤100 mg/kg | Ion chromatography, ISO 10304-1 |
| Median particle diameter | 5–30 µm, grade-dependent | Laser diffraction per ISO 13320 |
| Storage temperature | ≤30 °C, dry atmosphere | Supplier safety data sheet |
In polypropylene catalyst support manufacturing, magnesium ethoxide is milled and then reacted with titanium tetrachloride in a high-boiling hydrocarbon slurry. The alkoxide particle architecture—median diameter and span—is transferred to the final MgCl₂ crystallite adduct. Commercially relevant reactor-grade powders are typically classified to a D50 below 30 µm and span ≤1.8; however, published laser diffraction data for this exact product are limited, and supplier correlations must be applied. Residual free alcohol in the feed is a direct process boundary because it consumes TiCl₄ in an exothermic alcoholysis step and raises ethyl chloride byproduct load. On pilot lines using 200-L glass-lined reactors with jacket temperature held at 90–110 °C, free ethanol is maintained below 0.5 mass % by vacuum drying at 60–70 °C under 10–20 mbar absolute pressure. The resulting support morphology is evaluated by nitrogen adsorption; surface areas from such syntheses typically fall in the 120–250 m²/g range after activation, but transfer from laboratory to production requires confirmation because particle attrition in agitated dryers can raise fines below 5 µm. Polymerisation-grade hydrocarbon solvents should have water below 5 ppm by coulometric Karl Fischer instrumentation such as ASTM E1064. Equipment surfaces must be passivated and free of residual moisture; stainless steel lines are preferred over copper or brass because trace amine films can retard the alkoxide reaction. The compound should not be combined with amine-based additives during catalyst support preparation because aminolysis can release ethanol and modify the ligand environment of titanium.
Batch-to-batch variance in residual free alcohol and particle size is a principal failure mode observed on manufacturing lines. A change in D50 from 18 µm to 32 µm can shift the support particle size distribution beyond the target for downstream polymerization; similarly, an increase in fines below 5 µm above 10% leads to static adhesion in cyclones and baghouse filters. Air-milling equipment should be operated with dew point below -40 °C to prevent alkoxide surface hydration. The reaction with TiCl₄ is typically conducted at a titanium-to-magnesium molar ratio of 0.1–0.3 in the first stage, but the optimum is highly dependent on the hydrocarbon solvent and the desired support composition. Published data for this exact configuration are limited; manufacturers should use their own reactor profiles.
In sol-gel synthesis, the differentiation between magnesium ethoxide and magnesium nitrate or acetate precursors is the absence of anionic residues that must be burned out. Hydrolysis proceeds rapidly, and the gel point is controlled by water-to-alkoxide ratio, solvent polarity, and temperature. For dip-coating solutions prepared in anhydrous 2-methoxyethanol, a water ratio below 1.0 mol/mol is often used to sustain film-forming sols; higher water levels lead to precipitation rather than uniform deposition. Coatings on fused silica or alumina substrates are dried under flowing nitrogen before thermal conversion to MgO at 450–650 °C. The mass loss during conversion can exceed 40 mass %, requiring programmed heating at 1–2 °C/min to avoid cracking. The precursor must be stored at relative humidity below 40%; transfers are carried out in a glovebox with oxygen below 10 ppm and water below 10 ppm because hydrated magnesium ethoxide becomes lumpy and cannot be redispersed. Viscosity build in coating baths is measured with a cone-and-plate viscometer at 25 °C; a doubling of viscosity at constant solids indicates premature oligomerization and should terminate the bath. Quality control relies on in-house FTIR monitoring of the ethoxide band near 1100–1000 cm⁻¹ and thermogravimetric residue, with TGA performed according to ASTM E1131. No single ASTM standard governs the sol-gel synthesis itself.
For spin-coating applications, the solution is filtered through 0.2 µm PTFE membranes before dispensing. Substrate cleaning with oxygen plasma or piranha solution is required for wetting; contact angle below 10° on cleaned silicon oxide surfaces ensures continuous wet film. Film thickness after thermal treatment is commonly measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry; a single-coat thickness below 200 nm is used to avoid critical stress cracking. Above that range, multiple coating and calcination cycles are necessary. The conversion of magnesium ethoxide to MgO is accompanied by hydrocarbon burnout; residual carbon after 500 °C can remain above 5 at. % if oxygen is not introduced gradually. The use of ozone during firing reduces carbon but can roughen the oxide surface.
The release of ethanol during hydrolysis can be quantified by headspace gas chromatography to confirm alkoxide content. A common in-house procedure involves hydrolysis in excess standardized acid and back-titration with sodium hydroxide; the titration vessel must be sealed to avoid ethanol evaporation. Moisture is reported as Karl Fischer water, but the sample must be dispersed in a dry aprotic solvent to avoid side reactions. Trace metals are determined by ICP-OES after acid digestion; the digestion should use nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in a closed vessel at 180 °C. The absence of chloride is critical for electronic applications because chloride accelerates corrosion of aluminum interconnects; a limit below 100 mg/kg is commonly requested by thin-film users.
Sodium ethoxide is commonly supplied as a 21% ethanol solution and is highly sensitive to water, forming sodium hydroxide. Magnesium ethoxide has lower solubility in ethanol and hydrolyzes to particulate Mg(OH)₂. In a stirred-tank transesterification reactor processing low free-fatty-acid feedstock, replacing sodium ethoxide with magnesium ethoxide shifts the catalyst from a fully homogeneous base to a partially heterogeneous system. This changes the neutralization point: phosphoric acid quench yields sparingly soluble magnesium phosphate salts rather than sodium phosphate salts. Published data on magnesium ethoxide for biodiesel production remain limited compared with sodium methoxide literature; ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 fuel specifications do not discriminate catalyst origin, but residual magnesium in distilled biodiesel is controlled by the total sulfated ash limits of ASTM D874 or the 5 ppm Group I-II metal limit in EN 14538. The lower water tolerance of the reaction mixture is process-relevant: water above 0.3 mass % in the feedstock shifts conversion to soap and glycerol emulsion; magnesium hydroxide can stabilize emulsions in the crude glycerol phase, requiring centrifugation at 4,000–6,000 rpm and longer settling. Pilot trials in 1,000-L stirred reactors with 60 rpm pitched-blade agitation show slower initial rate than sodium methoxide, with ester content requiring upward adjustment of residence time; systematic kinetic data for this specific product are sparse. The reaction is exothermic and should be controlled with cooling; free alcohol recovery is affected by the lower volatility of magnesium alkoxide. The use of magnesium ethoxide is not appropriate for high free-fatty-acid feedstocks without a pre-esterification step because the resulting soaps increase viscosity and blind downstream filtration media.
Heat release during transesterification and neutralization is characterized by calorimetry; the neutralization step with mineral acid can cause localized precipitation and should be added slowly below 40 °C. Glycerol phase separation is monitored by turbidity probes at 60–70 °C; a stable interface indicates soap-stabilized emulsion. Filtration of magnesium salts requires plate-and-frame or candle filters with precoat; the cake can be dense and should be designed for a specific resistance above 10¹¹ m/kg. These operational boundaries reduce downtime but must be validated for each feedstock blend.
Magnesium ethoxide is evaluated as a precursor for non-aqueous magnesium electrolyte synthesis by reaction with organoaluminum or organoboron Lewis acids in ethereal solvents. The resulting alkoxyaluminate or alkoxyborate species are of interest for reversible magnesium deposition, but published full-cell data are limited. The solid precursor must be dissolved in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran or 1,2-dimethoxyethane; water levels above 10 ppm in the solvent cause precipitation of Mg(OH)₂ and shift the electrochemical window. Surface conditioning of oxide substrates with magnesium ethoxide can be used to introduce basic surface sites; the substrate is typically heated to 200–350 °C under vacuum after alkoxide adsorption. The method is sensitive to residual carbon, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of treated surfaces often shows carbonate contamination if ambient transfer exceeds 30 min. The product is not a drop-in electrolyte salt; its ionic conductivity in ethereal solvents is low unless converted to a stable organometallic complex.
In non-aqueous magnesium deposition, trace chloride and water are critical impurities. The precursor is dried under vacuum at 80–100 °C for 12 h before electrolyte synthesis. Residual oxide content, measured by TGA under inert flow, must be below 1.0 mass % to avoid scattering in optical cells. Electrolyte solutions are conditioned by cyclic voltammetry on platinum working electrodes; the oxidative stability limit is often below 3.0 V vs Mg/Mg²⁺ unless the alkoxide is fully consumed. The product should not be considered a commercial electrolyte; it is a synthetic precursor for electrolyte development.
Differences from other alkoxides are governed by the cation. Sodium ethoxide is strongly alkaline and fully soluble in ethanol; aluminum ethoxide is oligomeric and used for esterification and sol-gel alumina; titanium ethoxide is a covalent, moisture-sensitive liquid that forms titanium oxide networks; magnesium ethoxide is an ionic solid with intermediate basicity and controlled alcohol release. The table below summarizes comparative physical constants.
| Compound | CAS registry number | Molecular weight | Physical state at 25 °C | Characteristic reactivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium ethoxide | 2414-98-4 | 114.43 g/mol | White powder | Intermediate basicity; hydrolysis to Mg(OH)₂ |
| Sodium ethoxide | 141-52-6 | 68.05 g/mol | White to yellow powder or 21% ethanol solution | Strongly basic; rapid reaction with water to NaOH |
| Aluminum ethoxide | 555-75-9 | 162.16 g/mol | White powder or chunks | Oligomeric; hydrolyzes to Al₂O₃ gels |
| Titanium ethoxide | 3087-36-3 | 228.11 g/mol | Yellow liquid | Covalent; moisture-sensitive oxide network former |
Operationally, magnesium ethoxide should not be mixed with water, ammonium salts, or amine-based additives without a controlled reaction vessel; the hydrolysis heat can raise the solvent above its flash point if alcohol is present. Filtration of Mg(OH)₂ byproducts should be designed for solids loadings above 10 g/L and for filter cake that compacts under 0.5–1.0 bar differential pressure. Safety data sheets classify the product as a water-reactive solid; the user must verify regional REACH registration and GHS classification for the specific grade. Published data for long-term storage after drum opening are limited; resealed packages should be re-inspected for free-flowing character and moisture content before use.
