TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is specially prepared by reacting the impure catechol fraction with tertiary butyl alcohol.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used for its various properties (inhibition of polymerization and as an antioxidizing agent) in the manufacture of rubber, plastics and paints, in the preparation of petrolatum products, and as an antioxidant in oils, it may induce vitiligo.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol, or tert-Butylpyrocatechol (more commonly 4-tert-butylcatechol, 4-TBC), is an aromatic organic compound used mainly as a polymerization inhibitor and antioxidant stabilizer, especially in monomers like styrene and butadiene.
CAS Number: 98-29-3
Molecular Formula: C10H14O2
Molecular Weight: 166.22
EINECS Number: 202-653-9
Synonyms: 4-tert-Butylcatechol, p-tert-Butylcatechol, p-tert-butyl catechol, 4-tert-butyl catechol, 4-t-butylcatechol, 4-tert-butylpyrocatechol, p-tert-butylpyrocatechol, 4-t-butylpyrocatechol, 4-tert-butylbenzene-1,2-diol, 4-(tert-butyl)benzene-1,2-diol, 4-tert-butyl-1,2-benzenediol, 4-tert-butyl-1,2-dihydroxybenzene, 4-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,2-benzenediol, 1,2-benzenediol-4-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-, 4-tert-butylcatechin, PTBC, TBC, Synox TBC, CAS 98-29-3, C10H14O2, EC 202-653-9, EINECS 202-653-9, BRN 2043335, MFCD00002201, UNII 9A069144KR, DTXSID5024687, DTXCID804687, RefChem:858183, NSC-5310, NSC 5310, AI3-24363, CHEMBL220845, HSDB 3332, 4-TERT-BUTYLCATECHOL;4-TERT-BUTYL-1,2-DIHYDROXYBENZENE;4-T-BUTYLPYROCATECHOL;4-tert-Butyl-1;4-tert-Butylcatechin;4-tert-butyl-pyrocatecho;4-tert-Butylpyrokatechin;p-t-Butylpyrocatechol
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol belongs to the catechol family, meaning it contains a benzene ring with two adjacent hydroxyl (–OH) groups, plus a tert-butyl substituent.
This makes it highly effective at scavenging free radicals and preventing unwanted polymerization during storage and processing.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol works because the phenolic –OH groups can donate hydrogen atoms to reactive radical species, stabilizing them and stopping chain reactions that would otherwise lead to polymer formation.
The tert-butyl group increases its stability and solubility in organic media while reducing volatility.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it a robust industrial stabilizer.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is typically a light yellow to brown crystalline solid or powder, and it can slowly darken due to oxidation when exposed to air.
It is usually added in very small concentrations to maintain stability of reactive monomers.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in controlled chemical storage.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatecholis best described as a radical-inhibiting antioxidant used to prevent premature polymerization in unsaturated monomers and reactive organic chemicals.
Its main role is to improve storage stability and processing safety.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it a key additive in polymer chemistry.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is an organic chemical used primarily as a highly effective polymerization inhibitor and stabilizer for reactive monomer streams (such as styrene, butadiene, and vinyl acetate).
It prevents unwanted reactions during distillation, storage, and transport, and is about 25 times more potent than hydroquinone.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is widely used because it provides very efficient inhibition of free-radical polymerization at extremely low concentrations, often in the range of parts per million depending on the monomer system.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol high effectiveness makes it economically attractive in large-scale petrochemical storage and transport.
This makes it a high-performance stabilizer in industry.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechols inhibitory action is strongly influenced by the presence of oxygen, since aerobic conditions help regenerate active inhibitory species and prolong the protective effect against runaway polymerization.
This is why many storage systems are designed with controlled oxygen exposure rather than complete exclusion.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in storage atmosphere design.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol works particularly well in vinyl monomers that polymerize via radical chain mechanisms, where it intercepts initiating radicals and terminates early chain growth before significant polymer formation occurs.
This prevents viscosity increase and gel formation during storage.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it critical in monomer stability control.
In industrial distillation and purification processes, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used to prevent polymer formation during heating steps, where elevated temperatures would otherwise accelerate unwanted reactions in reactive monomer streams.
It helps maintain fluid handling characteristics throughout processing.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it valuable in chemical processing safety.
Because it is a phenolic compound, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol can undergo slow oxidation over time, which may lead to color changes and gradual reduction in inhibitory efficiency if storage conditions are not well controlled.
This is why stabilizer performance is monitored in long-term storage systems.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it sensitive to environmental conditions.
In formulation practice, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol must often be removed or neutralized before controlled polymerization reactions are initiated, since even trace amounts can significantly slow or inhibit desired polymer formation.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is especially important in resin and plastic manufacturing processes.
This makes it critical in polymer reaction control.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is considered especially important in industry because it provides very long-term stabilization of reactive monomers even under fluctuating temperature and transport conditions, which are common in real industrial supply chains.
This stability helps prevent accidental polymerization during storage, shipping, and handling.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it a reliable safeguard in monomer logistics.
Its performance depends strongly on trace oxygen availability, because small amounts of oxygen help maintain the active inhibitory cycle that continuously suppresses radical formation in stored chemicals.
If oxygen is completely absent, inhibition efficiency can gradually decrease over time.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes controlled headspace conditions important in storage tanks.
Melting point: 52–55 °C (lit.)
Boiling point: 285 °C (lit.)
bulk density: 650–700 kg/m3
Density: 1.049
vapor pressure: <1 hPa (25 °C)
refractive index: n20/D 1.508
Flash point: >230 °F
storage temp.: Store below +30°C
solubility: methanol: soluble 1 g/10 mL, clear, colorless to slightly yellow
pKa: 9.92 ± 0.10 (Predicted)
form: powder to lump
color: white to light yellow to light red
Odor: phenolic (at 10% in dipropylene glycol)
Water Solubility: 0.2 g/100 mL (25 °C)
Sensitive: hygroscopic
BRN: 2043335
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol in the presence of O2 catalyzed by tyrosinase, yields 4-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol in the presence of 4-hydroxycoumarin as nucleophile has been studied using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry.
It undergoes electrochemical trimerization via anodic oxidation and mechanism of trimerization has been studied using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is specially prepared by reacting the impure catechol fraction with tertiary butyl alcohol.
It is used for its various properties (inhibitor of polymerization and antioxidizing agent) in the manufacture of rubber, plastics, and paints, in the preparation of petrolatum products, and as an antioxidant in oils.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol Tert-Butylpyrocatechol may induce vitiligo.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is widely used because it functions as a free-radical scavenger that interrupts chain-growth polymerization reactions by stabilizing reactive intermediates before they can propagate.
This is especially important for monomers that polymerize easily at room temperature.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it essential in industrial monomer stabilization.
Its inhibitory action is based on a redox cycling mechanism, where TBC reacts with radical species to form relatively stable phenoxyl radicals that do not readily propagate polymer chains.
These stabilized intermediates effectively “terminate” radical reactions.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in radical chemistry control.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is particularly effective in stabilizing unsaturated hydrocarbons such as styrene, butadiene, acrylates, and other vinyl monomers, which are highly prone to uncontrolled polymerization.
Without inhibitors like TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol, these compounds could solidify during storage or transport.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it critical in petrochemical handling.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is often used together with oxygen (air) as part of the inhibition system, since small amounts of oxygen help regenerate active inhibitory species and maintain long-term stability.
This synergistic effect improves shelf-life protection.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in storage engineering.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol also acts as a mild antioxidant in some formulations, helping reduce oxidative degradation of organic materials during storage and processing.
This improves color stability and reduces unwanted side reactions.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it useful in chemical quality control.
Because of its reactivity with radicals, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol must be carefully controlled in production processes where intentional polymerization is desired, since even trace amounts can slow or stop polymer formation.
This is why it is removed or neutralized before polymer synthesis steps.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in polymer process design.
In many systems, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol acts not only as an inhibitor but also as a reaction regulator that influences induction periods in polymerization processes, effectively delaying the onset of chain-growth reactions until intentional initiation occurs.
This allows manufacturers to precisely control when polymerization begins.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in process timing control.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol helps prevent thermal runaway polymerization in heated monomer streams, where elevated temperatures could otherwise accelerate radical formation and lead to dangerous exothermic reactions.
By suppressing early radical chains, it improves operational safety.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in high-temperature chemical processing.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol can slowly undergo air oxidation over extended storage periods, leading to gradual formation of oxidized derivatives that may slightly reduce its inhibitory efficiency if not properly managed.
This is why inhibitor levels are often monitored in long-term storage systems.
This makes quality control important in industrial practice.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is often compared with other inhibitors, but it is particularly valued for its strong radical scavenging ability at very low dosage combined with good solubility in many organic monomers.
This balance of solubility and reactivity makes it widely applicable.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it a preferred stabilizer in many formulations.
Uses:
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used as an antioxidant in fats, oils, and mineral oils, and as a stabilizer in polyester resins and polystyrene resins.
A concentration of PTBC (up to 0.005%) can be found in paints, glues, thermal paper, lubricating oil, and mineral oil products.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is widely utilized as an inhibitor in polymerization of butadiene, styrene, vinyl acetate and other reactive monomers.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol plays an important role in the synthesis of tungsten oxide nanoparticles by nonaqueous sol-gel process.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol acts as a stabilizer in the manufacturing of polyurethane foam.
It is employed as an antioxidant for synthetic rubber, polymers and oil derivatives.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is also utilized as a purification agent for aminoformate catalysts.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used as a polymerization inhibitor in monomer storage and transport, especially for styrene, butadiene, acrylates, and other vinyl-based compounds.
It prevents unwanted polymer formation during storage and handling.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it essential in monomer stabilization.
In the petrochemical industry, it is used to stabilize reactive unsaturated hydrocarbons during refining, distillation, and distribution processes.
It ensures materials remain liquid and processable until intended use.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in industrial chemical logistics.
In polymer manufacturing, it is used to control reaction timing by preventing premature polymerization before deliberate initiation of polymer synthesis.
This helps maintain process safety and product consistency.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it valuable in controlled polymer production.
In coatings and resin systems, it is used to improve storage stability of reactive formulations containing unsaturated components, preventing gelation or viscosity increase over time.
This extends shelf life of finished products.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it useful in coating formulation stability.
In specialty chemical applications, it is used as a general antioxidant and stabilizer to reduce oxidative degradation in sensitive organic systems.
It helps maintain color, odor, and chemical integrity during storage.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in chemical preservation.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used as a polymerization inhibitor in the storage and transport of reactive monomers such as styrene, butadiene, acrylates, and vinyl compounds.
It prevents unwanted solidification during handling and shipping.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it essential in monomer logistics.
In petrochemical production, it is used to stabilize unsaturated hydrocarbon streams during refining and purification processes, especially where heat or catalysts might trigger polymerization.
It helps maintain processability of reactive chemical mixtures.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in refinery chemistry.
In polymer manufacturing, it is used to control reaction timing by preventing premature polymerization before intentional initiation with catalysts or initiators.
This ensures consistent molecular weight and product quality.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it useful in controlled polymer synthesis.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used to extend shelf life of formulations containing reactive unsaturated components, preventing gel formation or viscosity drift over time.
This improves storage stability and product reliability.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it valuable in formulation stability engineering.
In specialty chemical systems, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used as a general antioxidant and stabilizer to reduce oxidative degradation and maintain chemical integrity of sensitive organic compounds.
It helps preserve color, odor, and performance characteristics.
This makes it important in chemical preservation.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used as a polymerization inhibitor in the storage and transport of reactive monomers such as styrene, butadiene, acrylates, and vinyl compounds, preventing unwanted solidification during handling.
It ensures that monomers remain liquid and processable until intentionally polymerized.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it essential in petrochemical logistics.
In chemical manufacturing, it is used to control radical polymerization processes by preventing premature initiation before catalysts or initiators are added, ensuring controlled molecular structure formation.
This improves product consistency and reduces waste.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in polymer production control.
In refinery and distillation operations, TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is used to prevent heat-induced polymer formation in unsaturated hydrocarbon streams during purification and separation processes.
This maintains smooth flow and prevents equipment fouling.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it valuable in industrial processing safety.
In coatings, resins, and adhesive formulations, it is used to extend shelf life by preventing gelation or viscosity increase caused by slow spontaneous polymerization of reactive components.
This ensures long-term storage stability and usability.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it important in formulation stability engineering.
In specialty chemical systems, it is used as a general antioxidant to reduce oxidative degradation of sensitive organic compounds, preserving color, odor, and chemical performance over time.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol helps maintain product quality during storage.
This makes it useful in chemical preservation systems.
Safety Profile:
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol a poison by intravenous route.
Moderately toxic by ingestion and skin absorption.
A severe skin and eye irritant.
Mutation data reported.
Combustible when exposed to heat or flame.
To fight fire, use Con, dry chemical, fog, mist.
When heated to decomposition it emits acrid and irritating fumes
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is considered a moderate hazard industrial chemical, mainly due to its irritant properties and potential toxicity at high exposure levels, especially in occupational settings.
Its handling requires standard chemical safety precautions.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes controlled use important in industry.
Direct contact with TBC may cause skin and eye irritation, and prolonged exposure can lead to dermatitis or stronger irritation reactions in sensitive individuals.
Dust or powder exposure increases irritation risk.
This makes protective equipment necessary.
Inhalation of dust or vapors may cause respiratory tract irritation, including coughing, throat discomfort, or nasal irritation, particularly in poorly ventilated environments.
Good ventilation reduces exposure significantly.
This makes engineering controls important.
TBC is also a reactive phenolic compound, and improper handling (such as overheating or contamination) may increase the risk of hazardous decomposition or unwanted chemical reactions.
It should be stored away from strong oxidizers and heat sources.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes safe storage conditions essential.
Environmental release should be minimized because phenolic compounds can be harmful to aquatic organisms and may persist in the environment if not properly treated.
Proper disposal and containment procedures are required.
This makes environmental management important.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol is a useful but moderately hazardous stabilizer that requires proper industrial hygiene, protective equipment, and controlled handling to ensure safe use in polymer and chemical processing systems.
Its benefits in preventing polymerization come with manageable but important safety considerations.
TBC Tert-Butylpyrocatechol makes it a standard but carefully regulated industrial additive.