Physicochemical Properties
It is a colorless clear liquid, with benzene-like smell and strong refraction. It is miscible in ethanol, ether, acetone, chloroform, carbon disulfide and glacial acetic acid, minimally soluble in water. Its relative density is 0.866, freezing point is -95℃, boiling point is 110.6℃, reflective index is 1.4967 and flash point (closed cup) is 4.4℃. As an inflammable substance, its vapor can form an explosive mixture with the air, with an explosive limit of 1.2%~7.0% (volume), low toxicity, medium lethal dose (rat, via the mouth) of 5,000mg/kg. The high-concentration gas is narcotic and irritating.
Role & Purposes
TOL is mostly used as solvent and high-octane gasoline additive, as important raw materials for organic chemical industry as well. Compared with the benzene and dimethylbenzene that are obtained simultaneously from coal and petroleum, however, the current throughput of TOL is relatively excessive, thus quite a quantity of TOL is used for producing benzene through dealkylation or producing dimethylbenzene through dismutation. The series of intermediates derived from TOL is widely used in manufacturing such fine chemicals as dye, medicine, fertilizer, explosives & powders, auxiliary and spice etc., in synthetic materials industry as well.
