MTBE

Science & Engineering abbreviation · Chemistry

MTBE
Stands forMethyl tert-butyl ether
CategoriesScience & Engineering

MTBE stands for Methyl tert-butyl ether, a chemistry abbreviation.

Ether, (CH3)3COCH3, once blended into US gasoline as an oxygenate to raise octane and cut carbon monoxide emissions. Leaks from underground storage tanks contaminated groundwater, giving it a turpentine-like taste at low levels, and US states began banning it in the early 2000s, when ethanol took its place.

Example: Groundwater near the old gas station still contains MTBE above the state's taste-and-odor threshold.

Usage notes

MTBE dissolves readily in water, moves quickly through soil and resists biodegradation, so a small leak can taint a large aquifer. In laboratories it serves as an extraction solvent that forms peroxides more slowly than diethyl ether. It remains in use as a fuel additive in some other countries.

More chemistry abbreviations

  • MEK – Methyl ethyl ketone
  • MeOH – Methanol
  • MOF – Metal-organic framework
  • MS – Mass spectrometry
  • MSDS – Material safety data sheet
  • MSG – Monosodium glutamate
  • MW – Molecular weight
  • N2O – Nitrous oxide
  • NaCl – Sodium chloride
  • NaOH – Sodium hydroxide
  • NH3 – Ammonia
  • NMR – Nuclear magnetic resonance

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.