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[Chemical Knowledge]：The difference between o-xylene and toluene: from molecular structure to use at a glance

Read： 879 Time：17months ago Source：Transform the World with Simplicity

Ortho-xylene and toluene are two common chemical substances, which have important uses in production and life. Although their names are very similar, in fact, there are obvious differences in chemical structure, properties and uses.

1. Chemical Structure The chemical structure of ortho-xylene
is C6H4(CH3)2, where the two methyl groups are located adjacent to the benzene ring. The chemical structure of toluene is C6H5CH3, in which a methyl group is attached to the benzene ring. By comparing the chemical structure, it can be seen that the two methyl groups in the o-xylene molecule are closer together, while toluene has only one methyl group attached to the benzene ring.

2. physical properties
o-xylene has a melting point of 13.2 ° C., a boiling point of 139 ° C., and a density of 0.87g/cm3. Toluene has a melting point of -95°C, a boiling point of 111°C and a density of 0.86g/cm3. It can be seen that the melting point and boiling point of o-xylene are higher than that of toluene, and the density is also slightly higher than that of toluene.

3. chemical properties
o-xylene and toluene are also different in chemical properties. Because o-xylene contains two methyl groups in the molecule, it exhibits different properties from toluene in some reactions. For example, in the nitration reaction, o-xylene can produce two different nitro derivatives, while toluene can only produce one. At the same time, in the bromination reaction, o-xylene also exhibits different properties from toluene.

4. uses
o-xylene and toluene are also different in use. o-Xylene is mainly used in the production of poly (butyl toluate) (PBT), poly (butyl terephthalate) (PDT) and polyurethane elastomers and other polymer materials. Toluene is used as a raw material for organic synthesis and is widely used in the fields of coatings, dyes, resins and plastics.

To sum up, although o-xylene and toluene are very similar in name, they have obvious differences in chemical structure, properties and uses. In practical applications, it is necessary to select appropriate chemicals according to specific needs to ensure the smooth progress of production and processing.

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