FOCUS TBP

Product Details

Focus TBP (tributyl phosphate), is a clear, water-white, high boiling liquid. It is an effective solvent, and is used in blending of materials which are difficult to dissolve. This characteristic makes Focus TBP an excellent solvent for lithographic inks and in the preparation of concentrates for agricultural herbicides and fungicides. It can also be used as a solvent for natural gums and synthetic resins.  Focus TBP is also used for solvent extraction, sometimes called liquid-liquid extraction, of numerous rare earth metals. It is used as a sole agent or in combination with other chemicals for the extraction of uranium from its ores.

Typical Applications

As an efficient antifoam agent, Focus TBP has no residual odor, which makes it ideal for use in paper and protective coatings. Tributyl phosphate is utilized, for example, as a defoamer in vinyl latex emulsions, rubber-based paints, casein, inks, protein- or resin-based adhesives, and textile sizings. Normally, less than one percent by weight addition is sufficient to prevent undesirable foaming. Used with a small amount of isopropanol or similar material, tributyl phosphate will destroy or prevent foam in most detergent solutions. In anti-freeze solutions of the ethylene glycol-borax type, tributyl phosphate sharply reduces foaming. It is similarly useful in the manufacture and packaging of latex paints and some floor polishes.  The surfactant and antifreeze characteristics of this product help to extend the cold weather application season for paints, enabling latex coatings to flow evenly in cold climates and reduce brush marks. In other applications, it is an antifoaming agent for concrete, and a defoamer and corrosion inhibitor in chromium plating.
 
Focus TBP has been used to improve the wetting ability of mercerizing liquids and the film strength of lubricating oils. Its relatively high phosphorus content, along with good solvency, permits use in adhesives for veneer plywood applications.