Table 5.

Major solvent features and industrial applications of glymes

Glyme	Solvent Features	Representative industrial applications
Monoglyme (G1)	Low b.p. (85.2 °C) High stability	Production of active ingredients, metal-organics, electrolyte solvent for sealed lithium batteries, entrainer, chromium electroplating, cyanoacrylate based adhesives solvent, etching of printed circuit boards, treating aluminum surfaces
Ethyl glyme (G1-Et)		Solvent in paints, adhesives, coatings, shellacs, resins, detergents, dyes and polycarbonate products
Diglyme (G2)	High solubility for Na/K alloy Good solvent for Grignard reagents, LiAlH4 and NaBH4 Chelate ligand for cations Excellent stability even at high pH values	API production (such as anti-AIDS drug Nevirapine), reaction solvents for organometallic reagents, entrainer for azeotropic distillation, battery electrolyte, conducting thermoplastic paste, solvent for Teflon etchants, a suspension of sodium and naphthalene in G2 used for destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in transformer oil, solvent in a formulation to improve the bonding of tire cord to rubber, solvent in printing and inkjet inks and inkjet cartridges, brake fluid, paints and other coatings, plastics, adhesives and sealants
Butyl diglyme (G2-Bu)	Hydrophobic High b.p. (256 °C)	Selective extraction of gold from hydrochloric solutions containing other metals, used in compositions for production of printed circuits and diode fabrication,
Triglyme (G3)	High b.p. (218 °C) Chemically inert	Solvent for Teflon etching, high boiling and inert solvent for organic reactions, a solvent in consumer adhesives and paints, a component of consumer brake fluids and paint/graffiti removers
Tetraglyme (G4)	High b.p. (275 °C) High stability High solubility of inorganic salts	Flue gas cleaning systems, solvent for production of binders for paints, coalescing agent in paint formulations, adhesives production, electrodeposition, manufacture of soldering fluxes/solder pastes, adsorption liquid and gas scrubbing, formulations of paint strippers and adhesive removers, extraction of volatile organic compounds from solid wastes, inert additive for the fixation of methylated methylolmelamine resins in durable-press cotton and cellulosic fabrics, an HFC/CFC lubricant
Proglyme (P2)	Environmentally friendly High chemical stability High b.p. (175 °C) Replacement for NMP Replacement for xylene	Excellent replacement for NMP (N-methyl pyrrolidone) in many applications, polyurethane dispersion (PUD) formulation and two-pack PU coatings, waterborne coatings and high solid coatings, paint strippers, coatings- and graffiti removers, cleaners for degreasing, electrodeposition coatings, co-solvent in aluminum paste formulations, replacement of xylene for the production of alkyd and polyester resins
Polyglymes (MW 236 or 275)	Dissolution of gases such as CO2 and H2S High b.p.	Gas purification by removing CO2, H2S, COS and water from natural gas or ammonia synthesis gas feed stocks, solvent for manufacturing polyester fibers with improved moisture retain and multiporous hydroscopic fibers, formulation in dyes to dye polyester-cotton textiles, consumer paint strippers
Higlyme (MW>400)	High b.p. (> 300 °C) High flashing point (140 °C)	Formulations of coatings (urethanes and inks) and agro-chemicals
PEG-DME 200	High b.p. (> 300 °C)	Special solvent, flue gas cleaning systems, delacquing
PEG-DME 250	High b.p. (> 300 °C)	PTC, special solvent, absorption solvent for H2S, COS, mercaptans and CO2,
PEG-DME 500	High b.p. (> 300 °C)	PTC, high boiling solvent, electroplating
PEG-DME 1000	High b.p. (> 300 °C)	PTC, high boiling solvent, electrodeposition
PEG-DME 2000	High b.p. (> 300 °C)	PTC, high boiling solvent, electroplating, depolimerization reactions

Note: Polyglymes are polyethylene glycol dimethyl ethers with different molecular weights ranging from 200–2000.