Overview

Ethylbenzene (eth-il-BEN-zeen) is a colorless flammable liquid with a pleasant aromatic odor. It is an aromatic hydrocarbon, that is, a compound consisting of carbon and hydrogen only with a molecular structure similar to that of benzene (C₆H₆). In 2004 it ranked fifteenth among chemicals produced in the United States. Its primary use is in the manufacture of another aromatic hydrocarbon, styrene (C₆H₅CH=CH₂), widely used to make a number of polymers, such as polystyrene, styrene-butadiene latex, SBR rubber, and ABS rubber.

Key Facts

Other Names:

Phenylethane; ethylbenzol

Formula:

C₆H₅C₂H₅

Elements:

Carbon, hydrogen

Compound Type:

Aromatic hydrocarbon (organic)

State:

Liquid

Molecular Weight:

106.16 g/mol

Melting Point:

−94.96°C (−138.9°F)

Boiling Point:

136.19°C (277.14°F)

Solubility:

Immiscible with water; miscible with ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol

How It Is Made

Ethylbenzene occurs to some extent as a component of petroleum. It can be extracted from petroleum...