Isobutyl acetate (CAS 110-19-0), also known as 2-methylpropyl acetate or acetic acid isobutyl ester, is a medium-boiling ester solvent with the molecular formula C₆H₁₂O₂ and a molecular weight of 116.16 g/mol. It is a clear, colourless liquid with a mild, fruity ester odour, a boiling point of 117 °C, a flash point of approximately 18–22 °C and a density of 0.867 g/cm³. Its commercial identity rests on a property profile that positions it deliberately between the fast-evaporating acetates and the slower ketone and glycol-ether solvents: isobutyl acetate evaporates at a rate that supports coating flow and levelling without the blushing associated with acetone or ethyl acetate, and its solvency for acrylic, nitrocellulose, polyurethane and epoxy resins resembles n-butyl acetate and methyl isobutyl ketone while offering a milder odour and a more favourable toxicological profile than several of the ketones it displaces. That combination has made isobutyl acetate a reference solvent for automotive and industrial coatings, flexible-packaging and publication inks, and adhesive systems where drying speed and film quality must be balanced. The global market is a focused specialty-ester market, estimated at USD 70–140 million in 2025, reflecting its established position in specialty chemicals and its broad application base rather than a commodity-scale footprint. Within the broader C1–C4 alkyl acetate family, surface coatings and printing inks account for the majority of consumption, and coatings remain the single largest application segment for isobutyl acetate specifically, with packaging inks and digital printing adding incremental demand as the global packaging industry expands. The qualifying question for buyers is therefore not “what does a tonne of isobutyl acetate cost” but “which purity grade, water and acidity profile, and documentation package does my coating, ink or adhesive formulation actually require.”
Core Application Fields and Demand Architecture
Isobutyl acetate demand concentrates in four functional arenas where its medium evaporation rate and ester solvency deliver a balance that faster acetates and slower ketones cannot replicate without reformulating drying schedules or film properties: coatings and paints, printing inks, adhesives and sealants, and cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical processing.
In coatings and paints, isobutyl acetate is the largest application segment, accounting for the majority of global consumption. It is used in automotive coatings, industrial maintenance coatings, wood finishes and general-purpose lacquers, where it functions as an active solvent that reduces viscosity, promotes flow and levelling, and evaporates at a rate that avoids both premature skinning and residual solvent retention in the cured film. Its solvent performance is comparable to n-butyl acetate and methyl isobutyl ketone, which allows formulators to substitute it in existing systems without redesigning the drying profile, and its milder odour is an advantage in applications where worker comfort and end-user perception matter. The specification logic here is purity and evaporation consistency: water and alcohol impurities shift the evaporation rate and can cause haze or poor adhesion, and a lot that carries acidity above specification can affect resin stability and pot life.
In printing inks, isobutyl acetate serves as a solvent for flexible-packaging inks, publication inks and specialty printing applications. Its medium evaporation rate supports consistent transfer and drying on high-speed presses, and its compatibility with nitrocellulose and polyurethane ink resins makes it suitable for laminating and surface-print systems. The segment is growing with the packaging industry and with digital printing, where solvent selection affects print quality, drying energy and press uptime. The specification logic is low-residue evaporation and controlled odour: an ink solvent that leaves a residual ester odour or a non-volatile carryover fails at the packaged-product level, not in the certificate of analysis.
In adhesives and sealants, isobutyl acetate is used as a solvent in contact adhesives, laminating adhesives and specialty adhesive systems where a medium-evaporating ester is required to balance open time and initial tack. It is also used in thinners and cleaning solvents for adhesive application equipment. The segment is smaller in volume than coatings or inks but values the same attributes: consistent evaporation, low water content and compatibility with elastomer and resin systems.
In cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical processing, isobutyl acetate is used as a solvent and carrier in fragrance and flavour applications, in nail-care formulations and in pharmaceutical processing where a mild-odour ester solvent is required. The grade structure reflects this diversity: the product is commercially supplied as 98% purity and 99% purity grades, and market segmentation distinguishes industrial grade, cosmetic grade and pharmaceutical grade. The pharmaceutical and cosmetic grades require tighter control of acidity, water and odour than industrial grade, and the supplier’s ability to document those parameters determines whether the lot can enter a regulated formulation.
Regulatory Profile: A Non-SVHC Ester Defined by Flammability, Occupational Exposure and a Favourable REACH Position
Isobutyl acetate is not a SVHC, not on the REACH Candidate List, and not subject to Annex XIV authorisation or Annex XVII restriction. This is a materially favourable regulatory position relative to many oxygenated solvents reviewed in this series, and it simplifies market access in the EU and in jurisdictions that reference REACH status. The regulatory burden instead comes from three other directions: flammability and transport classification, occupational exposure limits, and the grade-specific purity requirements that govern cosmetic and pharmaceutical use.
The transport classification is the first practical constraint. Isobutyl acetate is UN 1213, Class 3, Packing Group II, a highly flammable liquid and vapour (H225) with a flash point in the 18–22 °C range depending on the test method. The PG II designation reflects the low flash point and the resulting handling risk. This classification governs packaging, labelling, segregation and transport documentation, and isobutyl acetate cannot move through standard channels without dangerous-goods paperwork. For Russian and EAEU buyers, the shipment must carry UN 1213 documentation, and the packaging must be verifiable as compliant before release.
The CLP classification includes Flam. Liq. 2 (H225) and, in the harmonised assessment, STOT SE 3 (H336, may cause drowsiness or dizziness) and Aquatic Chronic 3 (H412, harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects). The SDS documentation for standard grades also notes skin and eye irritation potential. These are handling hazards rather than CMR classifications, and the required precautions are standard for a highly flammable ester: elimination of ignition sources, vapour control and appropriate PPE.
Occupational exposure limits are jurisdiction-specific. In the EU, the substance is registered under REACH (registration number 01-2119488971-22-0001) and is subject to national OEL frameworks; the German WGK classification is WGK 1 (low hazard to water) , and the substance appears in the French INRS occupational disease tables under RG 84. In Russia and the EAEU, isobutyl acetate is regulated through sanitary-hygienic norms for workplace air, and imported material must be accompanied by a Russian-language SDS that states the applicable limits and the required ventilation and PPE measures.
The grade structure is where regulatory and quality requirements converge. Industrial-grade isobutyl acetate is specified on assay (typically ≥98% by GC), water, acidity and colour. Cosmetic-grade and pharmaceutical-grade material impose tighter limits on acidity, water, odour and trace impurities, and the supplier’s ability to document those parameters lot by lot is the qualification threshold for regulated applications.
Global Supply Structure and Manufacturer Differentiation
Global isobutyl acetate supply is moderately concentrated and structured around producers with acetic acid and isobutanol feedstock integration, alongside a significant Chinese production base. The producer landscape identified across market reports includes Eastman, Dow, OXEA Chemicals, Charkit Chemical, Comet Chemical Company and Novasol Chemicals, together with Chinese producers serving domestic and export demand. The top tier of producers holds a meaningful share of global revenue, and China accounts for almost all of the nameplate capacity for the related C1–C4 alkyl acetate family, which gives the region a structural cost advantage in industrial-grade material. The high-purity and cosmetic-grade segments are more concentrated than the industrial-grade segment, because the analytical and packaging discipline required to hold low acidity and low odour specifications is a barrier to entry.
Differentiation operates on three axes that matter more to a coatings formulator or an ink maker than the headline assay. The first is water and acidity control. Isobutyl acetate can carry residual water and acetic acid from the esterification route, and both affect evaporation rate, resin stability and film appearance. A supplier that controls water and acidity within narrow limits and documents them lot by lot reduces the downstream burden of re-assay and reformulation. The second axis is odour and purity consistency. The ester’s mild, fruity odour is one of its commercial advantages over ketone solvents, and a lot that carries an off-odour or a higher residual alcohol content can compromise that advantage in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and consumer-facing applications. A supplier that characterizes odour and residual alcohol against a retained reference lot gives the buyer a defensible basis for qualification. The third axis is grade breadth and dangerous-goods logistics. A supplier that can offer industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical grades from a consistent production and analytical platform, and arrange compliant Class 3, PG II logistics to Russia and the EAEU with Russian-language SDS and UN 1213 documentation, reduces the buyer’s clearance and qualification burden.
For Russian and EAEU buyers, the supply structure is shaped by a domestic acetates market that has been increasing its self-sufficiency. The share of domestic production in the Russian acetic-ester market exceeded 60% of the internal market, with growth estimated at 8–10% per year, and isobutyl and ethyl esters showing the maximum dynamics within that segment. This does not eliminate import dependence for high-purity and cosmetic-grade material, but it changes the procurement calculus: industrial-grade isobutyl acetate is increasingly available from domestic and regional sources, while the documentation depth and grade consistency required for regulated applications still favour qualified suppliers with lot-specific analytical data and Russian-language SDS support. XINCHEM positions its isobutyl acetate offering around this requirement, combining industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical grades with Russian-language documentation and UN 1213 logistics support so that Russian and EAEU buyers can qualify imported material without reconstructing the compliance case internally.
Regional Demand Dynamics
Isobutyl acetate demand is regionally asymmetric in a way that follows coatings production, packaging-ink consumption and adhesive manufacturing rather than the geography of isobutanol or acetic acid feedstock.
Asia-Pacific is the largest and most dynamic region. China is the dominant producer and a major consumer, supporting domestic coatings, inks and adhesive production, and India and mainland China are identified as the growing demand centres that will continue to drive global production. The region’s demand is volume-led and increasingly quality-differentiated: industrial-grade material serves domestic coatings and general-purpose inks, while cosmetic-grade and higher-purity material serves export-oriented personal care and pharmaceutical applications. India’s coatings and packaging sectors are expanding, and the country’s generic-drug and personal-care manufacturing adds a smaller but growing demand stream for higher-purity grades.
North America and Europe are mature, specification-intensive markets. North American demand is anchored in automotive and industrial coatings, flexible-packaging inks and adhesive systems, with a strong formulation culture that values isobutyl acetate as a lower-odour alternative to ketone solvents. Europe’s demand is shaped by REACH compliance—which is simplified by the substance’s non-SVHC status—and by a strong preference for consistent, documented quality in automotive OEM and packaging-ink applications. Both regions are growing at low-to-mid single digits in volume, with value growth driven by high-purity and low-odour grades rather than by commodity industrial volume.
Russia and the EAEU form a contour in which domestic production is rising but import dependence persists in the higher-purity tiers. The domestic share of the acetic-ester market has exceeded 60%, and isobutyl acetate is among the fastest-growing esters within that segment. Russian demand is concentrated in paints and coatings, printing inks, adhesives and, to a lesser extent, fragrance and flavour applications, and the EAEU has issued declarations for isobutyl acetate as a flavouring substance, reflecting its use in food-adjacent applications. The practical constraints for buyers are UN 1213 Class 3, PG II dangerous-goods logistics, Russian-language SDS, and a certificate of analysis that reports water, acidity and assay against the grade specification. XINCHEM supports this contour with lot-specific analytical data and Russian-language documentation, so that the buyer’s incoming QC can qualify the material against the formulation rather than against a catalogue claim.
Future Outlook and Strategic Imperatives
The isobutyl acetate market will grow at a moderate rate in volume—low-to-mid single digits depending on region—but the quality of that growth is shifting toward higher-purity and lower-odour grades, where documentation and consistency matter more than commodity scale.
Three structural forces will shape competition. First, the substitution of ketone solvents by esters will continue. Isobutyl acetate’s solvent performance resembles methyl isobutyl ketone, and its milder odour and favourable REACH position make it an attractive replacement in coatings and inks where ketone exposure or odour is a concern. Suppliers that can document consistent evaporation and low residual alcohol will capture reformulation demand. Second, the packaging-ink and digital-printing segments will add incremental growth. Flexible-packaging and publication inks are already a core outlet, and the expansion of the global packaging industry and digital printing supports demand for medium-evaporating ester solvents that balance print quality and drying energy. Third, grade differentiation will determine value capture. Industrial-grade isobutyl acetate competes on price and logistics, while cosmetic-grade and pharmaceutical-grade material commands a premium for low acidity, low water and controlled odour. Suppliers that can hold grade-specific specifications across lots, and support the buyer with Russian-language documentation and compliant dangerous-goods logistics, will be better positioned than single-grade spot traders.
For Russian and EAEU buyers, the strategic implication is that isobutyl acetate procurement should be treated as a grade-and-documentation partnership rather than a price comparison. A lot that carries water or acidity above the coating specification does not simply cost the price of the drum; it can shift the evaporation profile, compromise film adhesion or introduce haze into a clear coating. A shipment that arrives without a Russian-language SDS or UN 1213 documentation can be held at customs and disrupt a continuous ink or coating line. The lowest-risk supplier is the one that can match the grade to the application, document water and acidity lot by lot, and support the buyer with Russian-language documentation and compliant dangerous-goods logistics—the position XINCHEM occupies for isobutyl acetate in the Russian and EAEU market.
Shanghai XinChem Co., Ltd. (XinChem)
As a world-leading supplier of organic chemicals, Shanghai XinChem Co., Ltd. (XinChem) offers isobutyl acetate (CAS 110-19-0) in industrial-grade, cosmetic-grade and pharmaceutical-grade specifications, at 98% and 99% purity, serving coatings and paints manufacturers, printing-ink producers, adhesive formulators, and cosmetics and pharmaceutical processors. Our isobutyl acetate is supplied with controlled water, acidity and assay, lot-specific certificate-of-analysis data, and the documentation support—including Russian-language SDS and UN 1213 Class 3, PG II transport documentation—that grade-specific qualification and dangerous-goods logistics require.
Technical and Quality Advantages
Grade-Specific Impurity Control: Isobutyl acetate is supplied against industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical specification windows, with water, acidity and residual alcohol controlled to the limits relevant to the intended use. Because water and acidity affect evaporation rate, resin stability and film appearance, lot-level data is the specification that determines whether the lot can enter an automotive OEM coating or a regulated cosmetic formulation rather than only a general-purpose industrial lacquer.
Low-Odour and Residual Alcohol Control: The ester’s mild, fruity odour is a commercial advantage over ketone solvents, and XinChem characterizes residual alcohol and odour against a retained reference lot for cosmetic and pharmaceutical grades. This specification is more informative than a headline assay figure, because an off-odour lot can fail at the consumer-product level even when the GC purity is within specification.
Lot-Specific Certificate of Analysis: Each lot is supported by a certificate of analysis reporting assay (GC), water, acidity and colour against the agreed specification. For cosmetic and pharmaceutical customers, this documentation is the basis for incoming qualification and for demonstrating conformance to the formulation’s impurity limits.
Russian-Language SDS and UN 1213 Documentation: Safety data sheets are available in Russian and English, with documentation covering the H225 flammability and H336/H412 classification, the applicable occupational exposure limits, and the UN 1213, Class 3, PG II transport classification. This package reduces clearance friction for a highly flammable liquid that cannot move without dangerous-goods documentation.
Packaging and Logistics Flexibility
Isobutyl acetate is available in bulk and ISO tanks for large-volume coating, ink and adhesive customers, in 200 L drums and IBCs for mid-scale formulation and specialty operations, and in sealed containers for pilot, laboratory and cosmetic-grade qualification. For Russia and EAEU destinations, XinChem arranges Class 3, PG II dangerous-goods logistics with UN 1213 documentation, Russian-language SDS and certificate-of-analysis support, reducing clearance friction for a product that is both highly flammable and specification-sensitive.
Application Support and Supply Reliability
XinChem’s technical team assists with grade selection for automotive and industrial coatings, flexible-packaging and publication inks, contact and laminating adhesives, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical processing, and with the water, acidity and odour documentation that grade-specific qualification demands. Supply schedules accommodate both qualification orders and contract volumes, with stock and logistics planning aligned to the isobutanol and acetic acid feedstock dynamics that shape isobutyl acetate availability.
Why Choose XinChem
Expertise: Deep experience in acetate esters and medium-evaporating solvents, with application knowledge spanning coatings, printing inks, adhesives, cosmetics and pharmaceutical processing.
Consistency: Control of water, acidity and residual alcohol against grade-specific specifications—the parameters that determine whether isobutyl acetate performs in an automotive coating or a packaging ink, or becomes a haze, adhesion and odour problem.
Compliance Readiness: Documentation structured around the non-SVHC REACH status, the H225 flammability classification, occupational exposure limits and UN 1213 Class 3, PG II transport rules, with Russian-language SDS support.
Responsiveness: Direct technical and commercial access, with order structures from qualification volumes to bulk and contract supply.
Contact us now to discuss your isobutyl acetate requirements and request a specification sheet or qualification sample.
Website: www.xinchem.com
Email: sales1@xinchem.com
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Post time: Nov-08-2026