Uses of Tetrahydrofuran：

Tetrahydrofuran is a colorless and transparent liquid with an ether-like odor. Tetrahydrofuran can be miscible with water. The azeotropic mixture with water can dissolve cellulose acetate and alkaloids such as caffeine, and the dissolution performance is better than that of THF alone. General organic solvents such as ethanol, ether, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, etc. can be well dissolved in tetrahydrofuran. THF is easy to generate explosive peroxide with oxidation in the air. THF is non-corrosive to metals and erosive to many plastics and rubbers.

THF is easy to catch fire at room temperature due to its low boiling and flash points. When stored, oxygen in the air can generate explosive peroxides with THF. Peroxides are formed more easily under light and in the absence of water. Therefore, 0.05%~1% of hydroquinone, resorcinol, p-cresol or ferrous salt and other reducing substances are often added as antioxidants to inhibit the generation of peroxides. This product is low toxic, the operator should wear protective gear.

Tetrahydrofuran Chemical Properties:

Generate explosive peroxides in air due to autoxidation. When oxidized with nitric acid, THF generates butanedioic acid. Under the catalytic effect of alumina, THF reacts with ammonia at 300~400℃ to get pyrrolidine; and with hydrogen sulfide at 400℃ to get tetrahydrothiophene. In the presence of zinc chloride, by the action of acid or chloride, tetrahydrofuran is easy to open the ring to form 1,4-butanediol, 1,4-dicarbazide.

Under the influence of light, room temperature chlorination produces 2,3-dichlorotetrahydrofuran. Its chlorine atom in the second position is very reactive and can be directly substituted by alkoxy, acetate or alkyl groups of Grignard reagent. Using acid phosphate as catalyst, tetrahydrofuran is dehydrated at 270°C to produce butadiene. On heating tetrahydrofuran interacts with hydrogen chloride gas and rearranges to 4-chlorobutanol. In the presence of aluminum trichloride, tetrahydrofuran interacts with lithium aluminum hydride to quantitatively produce butanol.