| Chemical Properties | Trioxane is a most unusual chemical. It is an excellent solvent for many classes of materials. Concentrated aqueous solutions of trioxane have solvent properties which are not possessed by trioxane itself. Molten trioxane dissolves numerous organic compounds, such as naphthalene, urea, camphor, dichlorobenzene, etc. It is stable in alkaline or neutral solutions, yet it is depolymerized to formaldehyde by small amounts of strong acid or acid-forming materials, and the rate of depolymerization can be readily controlled. |
| Chemical Properties | Paraformaldehyde is a white crystalline solid.Irritating odor. The term “trioxane” applies specifically tothis trimer (CH2O)3 but paraformaldehyde is applied bothto trioxane and other low polymers or oligomers of formaldehyde. |
| Uses | 1,3,5-Trioxane is widely used as a source of anhydrous formaldehyde.
It can be used to synthesize:
- Polyoxymethylene and hyperbranched polyesters.
- Calixarenes such as calix[4]resorcinarene, calix[6]resorcinarene and para-tert-butylcalix[8] and [9]arene.
- Various natural products including (?)-motuporin, (+)-sundiversifolide, (+)-lyconadin A and (?)-lyconadin B.
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| Uses | 1,3,5-Trioxane is used in organic chemical processes such as aldol condensation of amides and syntheses of chloromethyl esters or other plastics. |
| Definition | ChEBI: A saturated organic heteromonocyclic parent that is cyclohexane in which the carbon atoms at positions 1, 3 and 5 are replaced by oxygen atoms. |
| General Description | Transparent crystals or white crystalline solid with a pleasant odor resembling the odor of chloroform. Melts at 62°C; boils at 115°C without polymerization. The cyclic trimer of formaldehyde. |
| Air & Water Reactions | Highly flammable. Water soluble. |
| Reactivity Profile | s-Trioxane is stable under normal laboratory conditions but is unstable in the presence of acids, which initiate polymerization. Sublimes readily. May react with oxidizing matter . A stable polymeric product of formaldehyde that in the presence of strong aqueous acids will depolymerize (reforming the parent formaldehyde). Inert to strong alkalis. Readily converted in non aqueous solutions to the monomeric formaldehyde by small concentrations of acid---the rate of conversion is directly proportional to the concentration of the acid. |
| Health Hazard | ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: s-Trioxane is toxic and flammable. It can emit toxic fumes on contact with acid or acid fumes. |
| Fire Hazard | s-Trioxane is combustible. |
| Safety Profile | Mutation data reported.Can evolve toxic formaldehyde fumes whenheated strongly or in contact with strongacids or acid fumes. Flammable liquid whenexposed to heat, flame, or oxidzers. Mayexplode when heated. Explosive in the formof vapor when exposed to heat or flame.Explodes on impact, possibly due toperoxide contamination. Mixtures withhydrogen peroxide are explosives sensitiveto heat, shock, or contact with lead.Mixtures with liquid oxygen are highlyexplosive. Incompatible with oxidizingmaterials. To fight fire, use foam, CO2, ordry chemical. When heated todecomposition it emits acrid smoke andirritating fumes. See alsoFORMALDEHYDE. |
| Potential Exposure | Paraformaldehyde is used in polyacetalresin manufacture; as a food additive; and as anodorless fuel. |
| Shipping | UN2213 Paraformaldehyde, Hazard Class: 4.1;Labels: 4.1-Flammable solid. |
| Purification Methods | Crystallise 1,3,4-trioxane from sodium-dried diethyl ether or water, and dry it over CaCl2. It can also be purified by zone refining. [Beilstein 19 H 381, 19 II 392, 19 III/IV 4710, 19/9 V 103.] |
| Incompatibilities | Paraformaldehyde dust forms an explosivemixture with air. Decomposes on contact with oxidizers,strong acids; acid fumes; and bases; with elevated temperatures,forming formaldehyde. May explode when heated.May explode on impact if peroxide contamination develops.Mixtures with hydrogen peroxide or liquid oxygen areexplosives sensitive to heat, shock, or contact with lead. |
| Waste Disposal | Dissolve or mix the materialwith a combustible solvent and burn in a chemical incineratorequipped with an afterburner and scrubber. All federal,state, and local environmental regulations must be observed. |
