What is Monoethanolamine (MEA)?
Monoethanolamine (MEA) is an important organic compound with the chemical formula C₂H₇NO. At room temperature, it appears as a colorless, viscous liquid with an ammonia-like odor and exhibits strong alkalinity. As a multifunctional chemical, MEA finds extensive applications across industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and personal care sectors.
Monoethanolamine production method
Ethylene oxide and ammonia react in an aqueous solution to form a mixture of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine. The MEA production process is highly exothermic, with temperatures reaching potentially hazardous levels. Therefore, stringent safety measures and specialized equipment are essential for safe and efficient monoethanolamine production.
Monoethanolamine occurs naturally, but its extraction is often complex and resource-intensive. In addition, in case of extraction of monoethanolamine from nature, the obtained monoethanol has many impurities that are not suitable for industrial use.
Chemical Properties and Basic Characteristics
The molecular structure of monoethanolamine (MEA) contains both a hydroxyl group (-OH) and an amino group (-NH₂), giving it bifunctional properties that exhibit characteristics of both alcohols and amines. MEA has a boiling point of 170.9°C and is highly soluble in polar solvents such as water and ethanol. It is hygroscopic, reacts with acids to form salts, and can undergo transesterification reactions with esters.
Additionally, the basicity of monoethanolamine makes it an effective reagent for neutralizing acidic gases, a property that is particularly valuable in environmental protection and gas treatment applications.
Applications of monoethanolamine
One of the main uses of monoethanolamine is in natural gas treatment, especially as a desulfurizer to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from natural gas and other hydrocarbons. Its working principle is to react with acidic gases to form stable salts, which can be easily removed from the airflow. This process is called natural gas desulfurization and is crucial to ensuring the quality of natural gas and other fuels.
MEA is also used in the production of cleaning agents, where it acts as a surfactant to mix water and oil-based substances. Its working principle is to reduce the surface tension of water, making it easier to penetrate fabrics and remove dirt and stains. In addition, MEA is also used to manufacture drugs, including local anesthetics, antidepressants, and antacids. In medical applications, such as treating respiratory acidosis, it can be used to absorb carbon dioxide.
MEA has characteristics that can be used in textile manufacturing. It can modify fabrics by combining with fiber chemistry, improve the dyeing process, and make textiles more resistant to shrinkage. MEA can also react with cellulose to produce properties such as washing resistance, wrinkle resistance, flame retardancy, and wear resistance.
However, MEA also has some drawbacks, including flammability, corrosiveness, and toxicity. When handling and storing chemicals, these characteristics must be considered. Multilateral environmental agreements can also be expensive, and the price of monoethanolamine is influenced by market conditions and demand.
There are several levels of MEA, including technical level, food level, and drug level. Each level has specific characteristics and uses, and an appropriate level must be obtained to ensure that the expected application runs as expected.
Other names of monoethanolamine
Monoethanolamine as a chemical compound has several common names. Some other names of monoethanolamine include:
- Ethanolamine
- Aminoethanol
- MEA (Abbreviation of Monoethanolamine)
- Beta Hydroxyethylamine
- Colamine
- Ethanolamine (common name in the industry)
- Aminoethyl alcohol
- Olamine
- Aminoethane
- Ethylolamine
Why Purchase Monoethanolamine(MEA) From Gneebio?
Gneebio is a trusted manufacturer and supplier with over a decade of experience in the chemical industry. Our Monoethanolamine(MEA) is produced under strict ISO and GMP quality systems, ensuring high purity concentration in industrial applications. We offer:
- Product specifications (technical data sheet);
- COA and MSDS;
