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What does it mean if my 1,4-butanediol has crystallized?
Q: I purchased some 1,4-butanediol approximately 2 years ago. After opening it and removing about 20\\% of the bottle I misplaced it. I only recently found it and to my surprise most of it had crystalized. I was wondering what the status of the crystalized butanediol is. Can I get it back to it's original state? Can the crystals be used? and is the liquid still in the bottle actually 1,4-butanediol or could it too have changed into something else.

A: 1,4-butanediol is normally a liquid, but it has a very high freezing point. It will begin to freeze at 20.1 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). At temperatures below this, it will turn first into a gelatinous mass, and then harder at lower temperatures. If your 1,4-butanediol has been stored in a cool environment, this is probably what happened to it. Letting it warm up should thaw it back to a liquid. As long as it has been stored in an air tight container and not exposed to extreme heat or cold, it's unlikely that it has broken down into anything else.



If it hasn't been stored in a cool/cold place, then we're not really sure what would cause it to crystallize. We'd love to hear if this is the case, so we can document the possibility.



Submitter's Response

Sure enough, once it warmed up it started acting normal again. Thanks for the Info.

Asked By : zebraseer
Answered By : murple
Published Date : 2 / 19 / 2001
Last Edited Date : 2 / 26 / 2001
Question ID : 2308

Categories: [ 1,4-Butanediol ]



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