Carbonate Ester - Use As Solvents

Use As Solvents

A large number of organic carbonates are used as solvents. They are classified as polar solvents and have a wide liquid temperature range. One example is propylene carbonate with melting point −55 °C and boiling point 240 °C. Other advantages are low ecotoxicity and good biodegradability. The industrial production of carbonates is not green because methods for production of linear carbonates rely on phosgene and those of cyclic carbonates rely on propylene oxide.