Amyl alcohol, mixed isomers

Description

A colorless volatile liquid composed of up to eight isomers. Amyl alcohol, or fusel oil, primarily contains n-amyl and isoamyl alcohol. Amyl alcohol is used as a solvent for organic synthesis.

Synonyms and Related Terms

fusel oil; isoamyl alcohol; amyl hydrate; pentyl alcohol; mixed pentanols

Chemical structure

Other Properties

Miscible with ethanol, benzene and ether. Slightly soluble in water.

Composition	C5H11OH
Density	0.81-0.82
Molecular Weight	mol. wt.=88.15
Refractive Index	1.408 (1-pentanol)

Hazards and Safety

Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Skin contact causes irritation and may burn.

Flammable. Fire risk. Flash point = 33 C (91 F)

Mallinckrodt Baker: MSDS

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 59

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: #4339

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index = 1.408 (1-pentanol)