Butane-1,4-diol

The four-carbon diol used to make PBT.

Formula
C4H10O2
Functional group
Non-vicinal diol
Molar mass
90.12 g/mol
Also known as
1,4-butanediol, butanediol, BDO

Overview

1,4-Butanediol / BDO

The four-carbon diol used to make PBT.

An alcohol group at each end links into the polyester chain. These groups are not on adjacent carbons, unlike the vicinal diols in the alkene-oxidation teaching family.

Identifiers

Formula
C4H10O2
Functional group
Non-vicinal diol
Molar mass
90.12 g/mol
Also known as
1,4-butanediol, butanediol, BDO
Chemical identifiers
SMILES
OCCCCO
InChI
InChI=1S/C4H10O2/c5-3-1-2-4-6/h5-6H,1-4H2
PubChem CID
8064

Properties

Melting Point
20.43 °C
Boiling Point
229.5 °C
Density
1.0171 g/cu cm at 20 °C
Water solubility
Soluble in water

References

  1. Ultradur PBT: chemistry and extrusionBASF
  2. PubChem: Butane-1,4-diolNational Center for Biotechnology Information

    Identity retrieved 2026-09-08; matched against the record's isomeric structure. Unspecified stereochemistry remains unspecified.

  3. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butane-1,4-diol — melting pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8064#section=Melting-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Haynes, W.M. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 95th Edition. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton: FL 2014-2015, p. 3-76

  4. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butane-1,4-diol — boiling pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8064#section=Boiling-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Haynes, W.M. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 95th Edition. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton: FL 2014-2015, p. 3-76

  5. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butane-1,4-diol — densityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8064#section=Density. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Haynes, W.M. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 95th Edition. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton: FL 2014-2015, p. 3-76

  6. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butane-1,4-diol — solubilityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8064#section=Solubility. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: O'Neil, M.J. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Cambridge, UK: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2013., p. 268