Ethylenediamine

ethylenediamine [¦eth·ə·‚lēn′dī·ə‚mēn]

(organic chemistry)

NH₂CH₂CH₂NH₂Colorless liquid, melting at 8.5°C, soluble in water; used as a solvent, corrosion inhibitor, and resin and in adhesive manufacture.

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Ethylenediamine 

(also called 1,2-diaminoethane), H₂NCH₂CH₂NH₂, a colorless liquid that has the odor of ammonia.

Ethylenediamine has a boiling point of 116.5°C, a melting point of 8.5°C, and a density of 0.899 g/cm³ at 20°C. It is soluble in water and alcohol and slightly soluble in ether, but it is insoluble in benzene. It is a strong base.

The salts of ethylenediamine and fatty acids are used in the textile industry as softeners, and ethylenediamine tartrate has piezoelectric properties. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is produced by reacting ethylenediamine with chloroacetic acid. Ethylenediamine is used in the manufacture of such products as fungicides, dyes, latex stabilizers, emulsifiers, and plasticizers, and it is also used as a curing agent for epoxy resins. It is produced mainly by the action of ammonia on dichloroethane.

Ethylenediamine is toxic. The maximum permissible concentration of its vapors in the air is 0.001 mg per liter.